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THE 



TOURISTS GUIDE 



TO QUEBEC. 



BY GODFREY S. O'BRIEN, P.L.S. 



QUEBEC : 
PRINTED BY HUNTER, ROSE k CO. 

1864. 



« 






<x 



i 



Entered, according to Act of the Provincial Parliament, in the year 
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, by Godfrey S. O'Brien, 
P.L.S., in the office of the Registrar of the Province of Canada. 



/ 



v* 



CONTENTS 



Page. 

Historical Sketch of Quebec 1 

Population 9 

The Citadel • 1 1 

The Esplanade 14 

Stadacona Club House 15 

Church of the Congregation 15 

Laval Normal School 15 

National School 15 

St. John's Gate < .....,*.♦ 15 

The Baptist Chapel 1G 

St. Patrick's Church , 16 

Catholic Institute ... 17 

Chapel of the Holy Trinity 17 

Congregational Chapel 17 

Hotel Dieu.. 18 

The figure of General Wolfe 19 

Palace Gate 20 

Artillery Barracks 21 

Market Square 21 

Roman Catholic Cathedral 21 

Jesuits' Barracks 22 

Quebec Seminary and Laval University 23 

binglish Cathedral 24 

Ursuline Convent 26 

Governor's Garden .... 28 

Monument to Wolfe and Montcalm 29 

Place d' Armes 30 

Chateau of St. Louis 30 

Court House 32 

The Recollets 33 

St. George's Hotel 33 

General Post Office , 34 

Bishop's Palace 35 

Parliament House 35 

Laval University , ...,., 36 

Hope Gate f 37 

Wesleyan Methodist Church ..,,.... , , . 3| 



Vlll CONTENTS. 



- Page. 

The Jail f 38 

St. Andrew r s Church .... w... 39 

The Lecture Hall 41 

The Music Hall 41 

Theatre burned 42 

The Masonic Hall 43 

Quebec Literary and Historical Society 43 

Morrin College , 43 

Chalmers' Church ♦ . . 44 

St. Louis Gate 44 

Skating Rink 44 

The Glacis , 46 

Canada Military Asylum 47 

Ladies' Protestant Home 47 

St. Bridget's Asylum 47 

The Plains of Abraham 47 

Wolfe's Monument 48 

The Battle of the Plains 48 

The Martello Towers e . . 59 

The New Jail 50 

Chapel and Convent of the Sisters of Charity. 51 

St. Matthew's Chapel 51 

St. John's Church ". ...... 53 

Finlay Asylum 54 

Monument u aux Braves " , . 54 

St. Peter's Chapel 55 

St, Roch's Church ,,.... 55 

Jacques Cartier Market , 55 

General and Marine Hospitals 55 

Intendant's Palace-ruins 55 

Church of Notre Dame des Victoires 55 

Custom House 55 

The Banks 56 

The spot where Montgomery fell 56 

Champlain Market Hall 56 

The Drives * 56 

The Falls of Montmorenc y 56 

Indian Lorette , 57 

Lake St. Charles, Charlesbourg . . . . , 57 

The Hermitage ■. 57 

Cap Rouge * 58 

Point Levis 59 

Ice Bridge 59 

Chaudiere Falls . 60 

St. Anne's Falls 60 

Trip to the Saguenay 62 



THE 



TOURIST'S GUIDE 



TO QUEBEC 



Quebec, the present Capital of Canada, is situated 
in N. lat. 46° 49' 12", W. long. 71° 15' 45", on the 
left bank of the River St. Lawrence, about 400 miles 
above the Gulph, and 180 miles below the City of 
Montreal. No place in Canada, perhaps in America, 
is better worth a visit from the tourist, so beautiful and 
varied is the scenery of the neighborhood, and so rich 
is the city itself in historic recollections. Excepting 
Jamestown, Va., Quebec is the oldest European settle- 
ment on this continent, having been founded in 1608 
by Samuel Champlain, a native of France ; Jamestown 
having been founded by the English in 1607. Con- 
cerning the origin of the name there have been various 
surmises, some endeavoring to trace it to the Indian 
tongues, others maintaining its derivation from the 
Norman-French. Its site was discovered by Jacques 
Cartier, the celebrated French navigator, who sailed 
from St. Malo, in Britanny, in May, 1535, with a fleet 
of three vessels, the Hermina, the Little Hermina 
B 



2 TOURISTS GUIDE 

and the Hermerillion, 110, 60, and 60 tons respec- 
tively. After crossing the Atlantic, he proceeded up 
the St. Lawrence as far as the present City of Mon- 
treal, then an Indian village called Hochelaga, having 
first stopped to visit another of their villages, called 
Stadacona, which, at the junction of the Rivers St. 
Charles and St. Lawrence, occupied a portion of the 
site of the present City of Quebec. On his return 
from Hochelaga, Cartier resolved to winter in Canada, 
and laid his vessels up on the banks of the St. Charles. 
In the spring, finding his numbers greatly reduced by 
scurvy, he abandoned the Little Hermina, and returned 
to France with his other vessels. During his stay in 
Canada he met with great kindness from the natives, 
who freely supplied his wants and attended his men in 
sickness. These kindnesses they ill repaid by carry- 
ing off several of the Indians when they departed for 
France. Despite its manifest advantages as a place 
of settlement, no further notice seems to have been 
taken of Quebec till 1608, in which year, July 3rd, 
Champlain laid the foundation of the present city, 
and erected a small fort close to the foot of the pre- 
sent Mountain street. Under his judicious manage- 
ment the young colony throve, and in 1620 he laid the 
foundation of the castle of St. Louis, which for more 
than 200 years continued the residence of the gover- 
nors of Canada. 

The following year saw the birth of the first native 
Canadian of European descent, the son of Abraham 
Martin and Margaret Langlois, christened, on the 
24th May 1621, Eustache. 

During this time Champlain had visited France, 
and, returning to Canada in 1615, brought with him 
four priests of the Recollet order, whose convent, 
erected 1620, was the first building of the kind in 
Canada, The Recollets were followed, in 1644, by 
a small body of Jesuits, five in number ; but for some 



TO QUEBEC. 3 

time the two orders did not agree. Strange to say, 
the Kecollet order was the first to become extijuct in 
the province. 

After the declaration of war between England and 
France, in 1628, Charles I. gave to Sir David Kerkt, 
a French refugee, a commission to conquer Canada. 
In July of that year, having previously taken 
Tadousac, Kerkt appeared before Quebec, and de- 
manded its surrender ; but receiving a spirited refu- 
sal from Champlain, he did not attack the town, but 
contented himself with cutting off its supplies. At 
last, reduced to five ounces of bread per day for each 
man, and seeing no prospect of aid from Europe, 
Champlain capitulated. Kerkt then took possession 
in the name of the British Crown, and installed him- 
self as governor, July 29th 1629. At this period, 
Canada was deemed of but little value, and w T as 
readily restored to France by the treaty of St. Ger- 
main-en-Laye, 1632, and Champlain was once more 
sent out as Governor. Dying in 1635, deeply lamented 
by the colonists, his second term of office was of 
but short duration. Champlain displayed as Gover- 
nor not only great talents as a ruler, but zeal for the 
spread of the gospel, and a common saying of his w r as 
"the salvation of one soul is of more value than the 
conquest of an empire." It was just about this period 
that many of the religious establishments were founded 
in Canada, which, as Janet Roy has well remarked, 
" though they did little for the immediate improve- 
ment of the colony, yet they formed the foundation 
on which arose those morals and habits which still 
characterise the French Canadians, and which demand 
our admiration." 

In 1663, the colony was visited by earthquakes 
of a most fearful nature, which lasted for more than 
six months. The descriptions by old writers would 
lead us to think that by these convulsions many of 



4 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

the natural features of the country were changed, 
new rivers and lakes formed, and old ones obliterated. 

In Canada, as in all new settlements, the male 
population increased much more rapidly than the 
female ; t and about 1665, a cargo of ladies from old 
France were sent out on speculation. The collection 
consisted of " tall, short, fair, brown, fat and lean. 
It must have answered well, as, in less than a fort- 
night, all of them had contracted matrimonial alli- 
ances/' 

In 1672, Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, 
was sent out as Governor. He was, perhaps, the 
most able and energetic man ever entrusted with the 
management of the colony. Unable to work in har- 
mony with the other authorities in Canada, he was 
recalled in 1682, but though several parties were 
tried as governors, none proved equal to the task, and 
de Frontenac was again sent out in 1689. 

During the revolution in England which drove 
James II. from the throne, the French having 
espoused the Stuart cause, hostilities began between 
the colonists of the two nations. In 1690, at an 
expense of .£15,000, a two-fold expedition against 
Canada, by land and by water, was undertaken by the 
English colonists. The fleet destined to attack Quebec 
sailed from Boston under the command of Sir William 
Phipps, an American by birth, and reached Tadousac 
before De Frontenac was aware of their approach. 
On the 16th Oct., the fleet appeared below Quebec, 
and Phipps, in the names of William and Mary, sum- 
moned the garrison to surrender. The young officer 
by whom this summons was conveyed on shore was 
received by De Frontenac and his full staff in the cas- 
tle of St. Louis, and received from the Governor a 
most spirited refusal, with a declaration that they 
acknowledged no king of England save James II. 
The envoy asked for an answer in writing, to which 



TO QUEBEC. O 

De Frontenac replied : " I am going to answer your 
master by the cannon's mouth; he shall be taught that 
this is not the manner in which a person of my rank 
ought to be summoned.' ' No sooner had he returned 
to Phipps' vessel than the fort opened fire on the fleet. 
A sharp action followed, in which the flag was shot 
away from Phipps' ship and fell a prize to the Cana- 
dians, a party of whom, regardless of the fire from the 
ships, swam out into the river and rescued it from the 
stream. It hung for years in the church of the 
Recollets, till the building was destroyed by fire dur- 
ing the great siege in 1760. The English were com- 
pletely worsted in the action and forced to return, and, 
to add to their mishap, lost, through ignorance of the 
channel, eight vessels in descending the river. To 
celebrate this victory a medal was struck in France. 
De Frontenac died, November 1698, and his body 
was interred in the Recollet church at Quebec. The 
population of the city at this time was about 4,500. 
In 1709 a plan for the conquest of Canada was 
again projected in England, but was given up ; and 
another expedition despatched against it in 1711 met 
so many disasters on the way that it never reached 
Quebec. This fleet, under Sir Hoveden Walker, 
lost in one (Jay, at Seven Islands, eight vessels and 
eight hundred and eighty-four men. The fortifica- 
tions of the town had hitherto been but rude, and in 
1712 the merchants of Quebec presented the Gover- 
nor with fifty thousand crowns to aid in strengthening 
them. The population w^as now about 7,000. In 
1759 was opened the memorable campaign which 
ended in the surrender of Canada to Britain. The 
daring and chivalric Marquis de Montcalm being in 
command of the French troops, and General Wolfe in 
command of the English. Wolfe first attempted a 
landing at Montmorenci, where some French troops 
lay intrenched. Here he suffered so sharp a repulse 



b TOURIST'S GUIDE 

that he despatched word to England that he despaired 
of reducing Quebec that season. Afterwards he made 
his bold attempt to land just above the town. In 
this he fully succeeded, landed and scaled the heights 
on the night of September 12th, and on the morning 
of the 13th was fought the Battle of the Plains, 
which decided the fate of Canada and terminated the 
lives of both Montcalm and Wolfe. On the 18th the 
city capitulated, and General Murray assumed the 
command. In the following April, General Levis, 
who succeeded Montcalm, marched against Quebec, 
defeated General Murray, the English commandant, 
close to the city, and laid siege to it ; but succors 
arriving to the English, his efforts proved abortive. 
By the Treaty of Paris, 1763, the possession of 
Canada was confirmed to Britain. The population 
had by this time increased to over 9,000. By the 
terms of the treaty, the free exercise of their religion 
and a continuance of French civil law were guaran- 
teed to the French colonists. On June 21st, 1764, 
the first newspaper was published in Quebec. It was 
called the " Quebec Gazette," and was printed half 
in English and half in French, its subscribers at first 
numbering only 150. This paper is still in existence, 
and is one of the few really impartial papers in the 
province. 

During the war of independence, Quebec was again 
a point of contest between the contending parties, 
being attacked by the Federal forces, under Generals 
Arnold and Montgomery, in 1776. Their design, 
though bravely carried out, was rashly designed, and 
resulted ift the defeat of the Americans and the death 
of both Arnold and Montgomery. 

In 1805 a second journal, the a Quebec Mercury," 
was started, and it, like the " Gazette," still thrives. 
From a number of it, published in 1809, we take the 
following notice of the first steamer seen in Canada. 



TO QUEBEC. 7 

In this age of universal steam travelling it may prove 
amusing : 

" On Saturday morning, at eight o'clock, arrived 
here from Montreal, being her first trip, the steam- 
boat Accommodation, with ten passengers. She is 
the first vessel of the kind that ever appeared in this 
harbour. * * * She left Montreal on Wednesday 
at two o'clock, so that her passage was sixty-six 
hours, thirty of which she was at anchor. * *' * 
She has at present berths for twenty passengers, 
which next year will be considerably augmented. No 
wind or tide can stop her. She has 75 feet keel and 
85 feet on deck. The price for passage up is nine 
dollars, and eight down, the vessel supplying provi- 
sions. The great advantage attending a vessel so 
constructed is that a passage can be calculated on to 
a degree of certainty in point of time which cannot 
be the case with any vessel propelled by wind only. 
The steamboat receives her impulsive power from an 
open, double-spoked, perpendicular wheel on each 
side, without any circular rim. To the end of each 
double spoke is fixed a square board, which enters the 
water, and, by the rotary motion of the wheel, acts 
like a paddle. The wheels are put and kept in motion 
by steam operating within the vessel." 

Until 1791 Canada was governed as one province, 
under the name of Quebec, but was then divided into 
two governments, styled Upper and Lower Canada; 
which division continued till 1841, when they were 
again united, and the capital removed from Quebec to 
Kingston. The seat of government was subsequently 
established at Montreal, but being driven from thence 
by the riots in 1849, the " alternate system" was 
agreed on by the legislature, and in 1851 the govern- 
ment returned to Quebec for four years. At the 
expiration of other four years it again returned to 
Quebec, where it has remained till the present time. 



8 toukist's guide 

In the months of May and June, 1845, Quebec was 
visited by two most disastrous fires, which consumed 
over 2,900 houses, and left many thousands of people 
homeless* Government promptly afforded aid to the 
sufferers, and handsome subscriptions were raised for 
them not only in the province, but in Europe and the 
United States. 

In 1848 gas was first introduced into the city, and 
the water pipes laid in 1853, and this was accompa- 
nied by a complete system of drainage ; and it is 
worthy of notice, that since these improvements the 
per centage of mortality in Quebec is less than in any 
city of Canada or the United States, while previously 
it was very high, especially in the summer. 

The impressions produced on the visitor who ap- 
proaches Quebec from the westward will differ widely 
from those felt by the tourist from the east. To the 
former nothing of the city is visible save the long, 
straggling line of Champlain street, a small portion 
of the Lower Town, and some few buildings of the 
Upper Town — even the noble bluff on which the 
citadel stands is not seen by him to any advantage ; 
while to the latter are presented at one glance the 
lovely valley of the St. Charles, the densely popu- 
lated suburbs of St. Roch and St. John, and the Upper 
Town, rising superbly tier above tier, and crowned by 
its imposing fortifications, fully realizing the idea of 
a "a city set on a hill which cannot be hid." The 
principal divisions of the city, in common parlance, 
are—the Lower Town, comprising that portion which 
lies below the cliff and faces the St. Lawrence ; the 
Upper Town, which includes all within the walls ; St. 
Roch's suburb, containing all on the low ground 
facing the St. Charles ; and St. John's and St. Louis 
suburbs, which include all without the walls on the 
high ground in rear of the city. For municipal pur- 
poses it is divided into eight wards, each of which 



TO QUEBEC. 9 

returns three members to the City Council. The 
Mayor is now elected by the city voters, and not 
chosen, as formerly, by the City Council, from their 
own body. Quebec returns three members to the 
Colonial Parliament, denominated members for Quebec 
East, West, and Centre. 

The total population of Quebec, according to the 
census of 1861, was 51,109, of whom 28,750 were of 
French origin or natives of France, 11,346 natives of 
Canada not of French origin, and the remainder 
immigrants from various nations, of which Ireland 
has furnished the most, i.e., 7,373, and Switzerland 
least, 8. The French and English languages are here 
spoken indifferently by the greater portion of the 
people. Now and then, among the working classes, 
may be met a Jobin, or Lachance, who speaks English 
with a brogue and knows nothing of French ; or an 
O'Brien or Kennedy, who speaks good French and 
broken English ; and, stranger still, we have heard of 
a farmer whose only language was French, though 
his name, "Blackburn," and his horse, "Dundee," 
clearly indicated to what country he owed his origin. 
The Roman Catholic Church musters by far the 
largest number of followers. Of their proportion to 
the other creeds we shall have occasion to speak when 
noticing the various churches of the city. Within the 
city the streets are narrow, short, crooked and in 
many cases steep, John street, the principal business 
thoroughfare, not being more than one thousand feet 
in length, forty feet in width, and its side walks only 
three feet wide. Of late years, the Corporation have 
tried to increase its width by purchasing ground 
whenever a fire or the .removal of a building has 
afforded them an opportunity ; but houses here are 
so substantially built, and fires so rare, we fear it will 
be a long time before they succeed in carrying out 
their praiseworthy object. We have said the houses 
c 



10 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

are in general solidly built, and think that in this 
respect no city in the province can compete with 
Quebec, except Montreal ; but we regret we cannot 
say as much for their beauty. For some time past 
more attention than formerly has been given to the 
appearance of buildings, both public and private, but 
in general their appearance would lead to the idea 
that, in past generations, the only emulation among 
the designers was who could construct the ugliest 
mansion. 

Such information as, we think, may interest the 
tourist, in regard to the trade and manufactures of 
the city, we shall lay before them at those points 
where they will probably prove of greatest interest. 

The principal export of Quebec is lumber, but 
large quantities of grain are also exported, and the 
late improvements carried out by the Harbour Com- 
missioners will,, we doubt not, give great impetus to 
this important branch of trade. Ship-building is also 
carried on to a great extent, and gives employment 
to large numbers during the winter months. At this 
time, the navigation being completely closed, but 
little business is transacted, the business of the year 
being compressed into some six or seven months. 
This produces a very marked effect on social inter- 
course and the price of labour. During the sum- 
mer all attention is devoted to business, and the 
winter is devoted to gaiety ; and the labourer who, in 
summer, may sometimes obtain four dollars per day, 
in winter often cannot get work at half a dollar, and 
frequently has difficulty in finding any employment. 
Much is often said by visitors of the non-progression 
of Quebec, but its municipal revenue and trade returns 
will show that, though it cannot compete with some 
of the more newly-settled towns, it is now as pros- 
perous as most of the older cities of the continent. 
No mercantile community has a smaller percentage 



TO QUEBEC. 11 

of failures, and its banking institutions have stood 
unshaken in the various crises which have, from time 
to time, convulsed both the eastern and western con- 
tinents. 

To its importance as a fortress, Quebec, without 
doubt, owes its greatest celebrity ; and the citadel of 
this " American Gibraltar" should be among the first 
places visited by the tourist. For this purpose, he 
must provide himself with a pass, which may easily 
be procured from the office of the Toivn Mayor, in the 
Jesuits' Barracks (though usually they may be had at 
any of the respectable hotels). The citadel is situated 
on the highest portion of the rock, and is three 
hundred and fifty feet above the river, and two hun- 
dred feet higher than the Upper Town. The only 
approach to it is by a winding road cut through the 
glacis, which leads from St. Lewis street to the 
u Dalhousie Gate.'' On presenting his pass here, the 
visitor will be furnished with an escort, under whose 
guidance he may visit the works. We need not men- 
tion the various buildings within the citadel, as they 
will be pointed out by the guide on the spot. We 
cannot, however, avoid calling the visitor's attention 
to the magnificent view obtained from the vicinity of 
the flag-staff. The extent of country taken in by the 
eye, with the beauty, richness and variety of the 
scenery, render this one of the most noble and striking 
in the world. From the glacis of the citadel, on the 
land side, the fortifications of the city — consisting of 
a massive wall about 85 feet high, covered by various 
outworks, with a wide dry ditch and glacis — extend 
to the cliff overlooking the St. Charles. Here, the 
nature of the ground renders such massive works 
unnecessary, and along the margin of the cliff the 
works are of a much lighter character. A w T all of 
solid masonry, loop-holed for musketry, and with 
embrasures for cannon, extends from this point round 



12 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

the north and cast of the Upper Town, laid out in 
such a manner as the jutting portions of rock have 
rendered expedient. The ramparts inside these walls 
afford delightful walks in most places, giving very 
varied and beautiful views of the Lower Town and 
the surrounding scenery, particularly on the west side, 
and from the Grand Battery near the Prescott Gate. 
These works have a circuit of about two and a half 
miles, and are pierced by five gates. One of these, 
the St. Lewis Gate, is at the foot of the steep road 
which leads to the citadel. Descending from the 
citadel, may be noticed, on the left, the Military 
Prison, and within the enclosure on the right, the 
offices of the Royal Engineers. Close to this spot 
the remains of General Montgomery were interred in 
1775, and there remained till removed by his widow 
to St. Paul's Cathedral, New York, where the Ameri- 
can Government have erected a magnificent cenotaph 
to his memory. This gallant officer had fought by 
the side of Wolfe at the " Battle of the Plains", but 
marrying an American lady, daughter of Judge 
Livingston, he espoused the cause of the colonists in 
the war of independence. The following account, 
taken from Christie's History of Canada, of his burial 
and the removal of his body, cannot fail to be of 
interest :«— 

" The remains "of the late General Montgomery, 
which had reposed within the walls of Quebec since 
his fall before it on the night of the 31st of December, 
1775, were this year, at the request of his widow, 
exhumed, by His Excellency's orders, and given up 
to Major Livingston, a relation of that lady. The 
exhumation was made on the 16th of June, 1815, in 
presence of Captain Freer, one of His Excellency's 
personal staff, Major Livingston, and a few other 
spectators, under the direction of Mr. James Thomp- 
son, of the Engineer Department, who, forty-two 



TO QUEBEC. 13 

years before, had laid the remains of the general in 
the ground, with the bodies of his two aides-de- 
camp, Cheseman and McPherson, one on each side of 
him. The place of interment had changed its appear- 
ance very considerably since 1775. * * * Mr. 
Thompson, however, retained sufficient recollection 
of the whereabouts he lay to dig for the coffin, and on 
removing the earth it was immediately found where 
he had stated it to be. The following statement was 
also made by Mr. Thompson: — <I, James Thompson, 
of the City of Quebec, in the Province of Lower 
Canada, do testify and declare that I served in the 
capacity of assistant engineer during the siege of 
this city, invested during the years 1775, 1776, by 
the American forces under the command of the late 
Major General Montgomery. That in an attack 
made by the American troops in the night of the 31st 
Dec, 1775, on a British post, at the southernmost ex- 
tremity of the city, near Pres-de-Ville, the general 
received a mortal wound, -and with him were killed 
his two aides-de-camp, McPherson and Cheseman, 
who were found in the morning of the 1st January, 
almost covered with snow. That Mrs. Prentice, who 
kept an hotel at Quebec, and with whom Gen. Mont- 
gomery had previously boarded, was brought to view 
the body after it was placed in the guard-room, and 
which she recognized, by a particular mark on the 
side of the head, to be the general's. That the body 
was then conveyed to a house immediately opposite 
the President's residence, by order of Mr. Cramah£, 
who provided a genteel coffin for the general's body, 
which was lined inside w ith flannel and outside of it 
with black cloth. That in the night of the 4th of 
January it was removed by me from the house, and 
was interred six feet in front of the gate in a wall that 
surrounded a powder magazine near the ramparts 
bounding on St, Louis street. That the funeral ser- 



14 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

vice was performed at the grave by the Rev. Mr. de 
Montmollin, then chaplain to the garrison. That his 
two aides-de-camp were buried in their clothes, with- 
out any coffins, and that no person was buried within 
twenty-five yards of the general. I am positive, and 
can testify that the coffin of the late General Mont- 
gomery taken up on the morning of the 16th of the 
present month of June, is the identical coffin deposited 
by me on the day of his burial, and that the present 
coffin contains the remains of the late general. I do 
further testify and declare that, subsequent to the 
finding of General Montgomery's body, I wore his 
sword, being lighter than my own, and on going to the 
seminary, where the American officers were lodged, 
they recognized the sword, which affected them so 
much that numbers of them wept, in consequence of 
Avhich I have never worn the sword since. 

6 Given under my hand, at the City of Quebec, Pro- 
vince of Lower Canada, 19th June, 1818. 

(Signed) * ' James Thompson.' " 

The tourist may now descend to the town. After 
passing St. Lewis Gate, his most pleasant walk will be 
along the ramparts, from which he may still keep be- 
fore him much of the view seen from the citadel. The 
large, l6vel, grassy inclosure, intervening between him 
and the extensive range of houses, is the "Esplanade," 
used on many occasions as a parade ground, and al- . 
ways open to the public. During the summer months 
the colors are trooped here once a week. This cere- 
mony occupies about half an hour, and affords the 
visitor opportunity of seeing a large portion of the 
troops under arms, and of hearing their fine regimental 
bands. " Tattoo " also is beat here, three evenings in 
the week, from nine o'clock till half-past nine. It 
may afford a pleasant stroll to those w T ho do not dis- 
like the music of drums and fifes. 



TO QUEBEC. 15 

On the Esplanade hill, at th£ corner of Ann street, 
may be noticed the " Stadacona Club House/' and, at 
the corner of Dauphin^ street, the " Church of the 
Congregation," in charge of the Order of the Jesuits. 
It is a neat and plain building, of modern construction. 
In rear of it, and facing Dauphin^ street, is the lofty 
and spacious Laval Normal School, a perfectly plain, 
but solidly-constructed cut stone edifice. This,' like 
many other educational institutions in Quebec, is un- 
der the management of the Roman Catholic clergy, 
from whose revenues it is chiefly supported. Lower 
down the hill is the " National School," devoted to the 
interests of the Protestant community. The gate at 
the foot of the hill is called St. John's, and is the 
great channel of communication between the city 
proper and the populous suburbs beyond. Such a 
narrow passage has long been felt insufficient for the 
great traffic passing through, and last year consent 
was given by the military authorities to enlarge the 
gate. According to the new plan there will be two 
passages for vehicles, each nine feet wide, and two for 
foot passengers, each seven feet wide. These passa- 
ges will be divided by pillars, supporting a groined 
roof, and some greater architectural pretensions will , 
be given to the facing of the wall. We hope soon to 
see this much-needed improvement carried out, and 
this inconvenient eyesore rendered an ornament, in- 
stead of being, as heretofore, a nuisance to the city, 

Crossing John street, and following the line of for- 
tifications to St. Helen street, we pass the Guard 
house and the numerous storehouses and magazines of 
the military depcit. A short distance from the Guard 
house stood the military Laboratory, till destroyed by 
an explosion of powder a few months since. From 
what cause this fearful accident occurred must remain 
for ever a mystery, as all those at work in it were 
instantly destroyed, save two, and they have never 



16 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

been able to account for it. From St. Helen street a 
gate leads into the Artillery Park, in which are the 
barraeks for that branch of the service. Another 
street leads into this enclosure from Palace street, and 
from this the best view is obtained. Almost opposite 
this gate is the small chapel of the Baptists. This 
sect has, during the last ten years, trebled its numbers 
in Quebec, being returned in the census of 1851 at 51, 
and in that of 1861 at 154. In this street (St.Helen's) 
also stands the Roman Catholic church, dedicated to 
St. Patrick. It was erected some years since, chiefly 
through the exertions of the Rev. Mr. McMahon, to 
supply a want greatly felt by the Irish Roman Catho- 
lics of Quebec, of which body he was then in charge. 
The expense of constructing the building was defrayed 
by members of the congregation. It was commenced 
in the fall of 1831, and completed on the 7th July, 
1833, in which year it was first opened for divine 
service. Its front has no architectural pretensions, 
being quite plain. The steeple, which is well pro- 
portioned, measures one hundred and twenty feet in 
height and contains a large bell, which was conse- 
crated August 29th, 1841. The interior of the 
church is well finished, the body containing a nave 
separated from the aisles by pillars of the Ionic 
order. A spacious gallery extends round three sides 
of the building, and in the transverse portion is a 
large organ. This fine instrument was purchased 
with funds subscribed by the Protestants of Quebec, 
who, in Dec, 1834, raised £250 for the purpose. 
This act speaks well for the kindly feeling which 
exists between the various portions of this mixed 
community, and shows in what high estimation the 
Irish Romanists are held by their fellow townsmen. 
The altar-piece, representing the Crucifixion, is from 
the pencil of a Canadian artist named Legar£. The 
original dimensions of the church were one hundred 



TO QUEBEC. 17 

and forty-five feet in length by sixty feet in breadth, 
but the rapid increase of its congregation soon required 
its enlargement, and in 1845 its length was greatly 
augmented. It contains seats for over fifteen hundred 
persons, but on some occasions over four thousand have 
been at one time within its walls. In the rear of 
the church is the " Catholic Institute," established by 
the congregation on much' the same plan as the 
Mechanics' Institutes so well known elsewhere. The 
presbytery, or residence for the priests, attached to 
the church, is a handsome cut-stone building facing on 
St. Stanislaus street. The reverend gentleman through 
whose exertions these were built, died in 1851, deeply 
lamented by all who knew him, both of his own and 
other creeds. He is buried in the vaults beneath the 
church. A fine full length portrait of him hangs in 
the sacristy of the church ; it has been lithographed, 
and there are few Irish Roman Catholics in Quebec who 
have not a copy of it on their walls. A large plate let 
into the flooring commemorates his name. On St. 
Stanislaus street, also, stands the Chapel of the Holy 
Trinity, belonging to the Church of England. It is a 
plain cut-stone building, erected at the expense of the 
late Hon. Jonathan Sewell, for years Chief Justice 
of Quebec. The corner stone was privately laid in 
1825, and the building opened for service on the 27th 
November of the same year. It is 74 feet in length 
by 48 in width, and, with the galleries, will hold 700 
persons. It contains a nice organ. Its revenues are 
derived chiefly from the pew rents, and the living has 
been held, since iis erection, by the Rev. Edmund 
Sewell, a son of the founder. At the junction of St. 
Helen's and Palace streets is the chapel of the Con- 
gregationalists. The corner stone of this neat Gothic 
edifice was laid July 29th, 1840, by the Rev. T. 
Atkinson, then ministering to the spiritual w r ants of 
that body. The interior is well finished and contains 

D 



18 TOUMST'S GUIDE 

a good organ, and will accommodate 800 people. Its 
frontage, on Palace street, is 58 feet, and on Helen 
street 60, the height of the building 40 feet. The 
numbers of this persuasion were, in 1851, 95 ; in 
1861, 234. Passing into Palace street, we come to 
the JK6tel-Dieu 9 a large hospital under the charge 
of the religious order of the Hospitali&res. Three 
nuns of this order landed at Quebec, from France, on 
the 31st of July, 1639 ; and the oldest of them, 29 
years of age, was chosen lady superior. Funds had 
been provided in 1631 for the support of such a con- 
vent by the Duchess d' Aguillion, a niece of the cele- 
brated Cardinal Richelieu. She and her uncle 
endowed the convent with a rental of 1500 livres, 
which donation they afterwards doubled. The day 
on which these ladies landed was observed by the 
colonists as a fete. The shops were closed and a 
salute fired from the port as the Governor, at the head 
of the troops, received them at the landing place. 
They at once applied themselves to the study of the 
Indian tongue, and commenced their labors of attend- 
ing the sick by receiving several invalids, both French 
and Indians, under their care. Their first building 
was a small house belonging to the mercantile commu- 
nity, who then controlled the colony. In 1640, they 
removed to Sillery,- where they remained for four 
years. They then erected their hospital on its present 
site, and, until its completion, resided in a building 
lent them by the Governor. On the 16th of March, 
1646, they consecrated their chapel. This first 
building was of wood and only 14 feet wide. Through 
the donations of various parties, both in France and 
the colony, the nuns were enabled, in 1654, to build 
a solid stone edifice, which forms part of the present 
building. In 1762, it was again much enlarged by 
M. Talon, who, to show his respect for the original 
founder, inserted in the foundation stone a plate 



TO QUEBEC. 19 

setting forth the circumstances of its institution. 
Since then, it has received various additions, until at 
length it assumed its present form. There are several 
pictures throughout the building, among them the 
following originals: — " The Virgin and child," by 
Ooypel; " The Nativity," by Stella; and "St. 
Bruno," by LeSueur, who is often called the Raphael 
of France. 

At the corner of St. John and Palace streets, a 
small figure, purporting to represent General Wolfe, 
may be seen over the second story of the store on the 
right hand side of the former. When it was erected we 
cannot say. Hawkins says of it : — "It was set up in 
honor of Wolfe, by an individual of more patriotism 
than taste." The erection of monuments of a very 
different nature have rendered it an almost forgotten 
thing, few regarding it as anything but a sign post. 
It is confessedly not an ornament to the city, but it 
has stood there so long that every one who knows its 
history would regret its removal. 

Some five and twenty years have passed since it was 
missed one morning from its elevated position. The 
police in vain tried to discover who had made off with 
the general, but all that could be ascertained was, that 
in the evening he was there, in the morning he was gone. 
The following is the outline of the facts, as told us by 
one who knew something of the matter. A transport 
was then lying in the river which was under orders for 
the West Indies ; and her officers being on very good 
terms with some young men of the city, resolved 
to pass their last evening in Quebec with one another. 
They met for dinner, and the small hours saw them all 
happy together. Some one then proposed they should 
do something to commemorate the night. But what ? 
They were no new hands at removing knockers and 
scrapers from doors, but such exploits were too paltry 
for this carnival. They resolved to carry off General 



20 TOUEIST'S GUIDE 

Wolfe. It was no easy matter, but in silence and 
secrecy lie was lowered to the ground. Having got 
him down, like the man who won an elephant in a 
lottery, they did not know what to do with him, but 
concluded at last to send him to Barbadoes. Politi- 
cal troubles had rendered the military cautious, and 
the gates of the town were then closed at dark each 
night, after which no one was allowed through them 
without a pass, and it would not be easy to get him 
past the sentry. A naval officer, howevdr, even if rot 
able to walk steadily, might go through ; so throwing 
a cloak over the figure, two of them took hold of him, 
and imploring him to "keep straight, " got him in 
safety to the water's edge, and next morning the 
Vesta sailed from Quebec. 

Some few months afterwards the Mayor, while en- 
tertaining a party of his friends, was informed that a 
box had arrived for him from Barbadoes. The worthy 
magistrate, having no friends there, was not a little 
puzzled, but rightly concluded that the shortest waj? 
to solve the mystery would be open the box. The lid 
was raised and a coffin found within. Perplexity in- 
creased ! W hat horrid deed was to come to light ? 
In haste the coffin lid was raised and the long lost 
general was discovered. The right arm, which is ex- 
tended, had been cut off to fit in the coffin. A full 
account of his travels was also deposited beside him, 
from which it was found that he had, meanwhile, been 
elevated on a public house in Barbadoes, much to the 
astonishment of the people there, who knew not from 
whence he came. From Barbadoes he departed as he 
had come ;, none knew how ! ! The Corporation of 
Quebec had his arm restored, gave him a new coat, 
of paint, and restored him to his former elevated 
position. 

At the foot of Palace street is Palace Gate. It is 
by far the most elegant of the five exits from the city, 
and has a very light appearance. 



TO QUEBEC. 21 

From Palace street, also, is the main entrance to 
the Artillery Barracks. These buildings are about 
600 feet by 40, and were partly erected by the French 
in 1750 on the site of others which had stood there 
previously. Passing along John street and up Fabri- 
que street, we come to the large irregular open space, 
now known as the Market Square. On the east side 
of this space stands the Roman Catholic Cathedral, 
and on the west side the Jesuits' Barracks. The 
former of these was built under the auspices of Mon- 
seigneur de Laval, first Bishop of Quebec. Its length 
is 216 feet, its breadth 108. Very little, if any, of 
the original building now remains, it having been 
altered at various times, and suffered much during the 
siege under Wolfe. The first building on this site 
was constructed in 1644, and was 100 feet by 30. A 
steeple was added in 1655. The present front was 
erected in 1644, at which time the interior was also 
remodelled entirely. It has room for 4,000 persons. 
In the organ loft is a fine organ ; and the choir is 
furnished by the pupils of the Seminary. The follow- 
ing pictures are hung in the building : " The Con- 
ception," " St. Paul/' by Carlo Maratte ; " The 
flight of the Holy Family into Egypt ;" a delineation 
of the Saviour on the Cross, by Vandyke; "The 
Nativity," after Annibal Carracci; " Saviour mocked 
by the Soldiers," Fluret ; "The day of Pentecost," 
by Vignon; "Holy Trinity," by Blanchard; and 
two or three others. As may be supposed, the mem- 
bers of the Church of Rome are very numerous in 
Quebec. In 1851 they numbered 32,934; in 1861, 
41,477. With the following remarks, culled from the 
Leader , of Toronto, at the time of the publication of 
the last Census, we quite concur : — " The Catholicism 
of Lower Canada is of an exceedingly mild and tolerant 
type. If every people were as free from bigotry as 
the French Canadians, the amount of religious rancour 



22 TOUBIST'S GUIDE' 

in the world would be sensibly diminished. This does 
not arise from indifference, for there are few people 
more truly devout than the French Canadians. A 
superficial glance might lead a stranger to the conclu- 
sion that the religious subdivisions of Lower Canada 
presented excellent materials for chronic quarrels. 
With the preponderance of the Church of Rome in 
presence of so many denominations, there is less sec- 
tarian bitterness in Lower Canada than in most 
countries/ ' 

The "Jesuits' Barracks/' as they are now called, 
but more correctly known as the Jesuits' College, was 
erected by that powerful order, subsequent to 1720. 
The first members of this body who settled in Canada 
arrived here in 1625. They were three in number, 
named Lallemant, Le Breboeuf and Masse. Energetic, 
persevering and talented men, they and their succes- 
sors proved of great value in forwarding the settle- 
ment of the country, and spreading the light of Chris- 
tianity among the Indians. Nothing daunted these 
self-denying men, and several of them suffered cruel 
and lingering deaths at the hands of the savage tribes 
among whom they so fearlessly ventured. The great 
political power obtained by this body in Europe gave 
great uneasiness to many of the States, and the order 
was suppressed in France, by order of the king, in 
1764. Their property afterwards became vested in the 
Crown, and for many years the building has been used 
to quarter troops in. Ungainly as the great pile of 
building erected by them appears to us, it was, no doubt, 
thought by the colonists a magnificent structure. Over 
the main entrance may still be seen the I. H. S., sur- 
mounted by a cross carved in lelief, and on the sum- 
mit of the building the old iron vane, representing 
the crown of thorns, still stands. A large garden 
formerly occupied the place of the parade ground in 
the rear, in which, until cut down, stood several of the 



TO QUEBEC. 23 

original forest trees ; and it was with deep regret the 
inhabitants saw these noble trees, untouched by time 
or decay, thus wantonly felled. The last member of 
the order established in Canada died in 1800. In this 
building is kept the Garrison Library, and the Town 
Major's office is also here. On a portion of the ground 
fronting on Anne street is the Commissariat bakery, 
and several storehouses. 

The " Quebec Seminary " and the Laval University 
should receive a visit from all strangers. The Semi- 
nary was established by Monsigneur De Laval de 
Montmorency, first Bishop of Quebec. Twice during 
the lifetime of this worthy man it was burned, he es- 
caping from the fire on one occasion but half-dressed. 
The first fire took place in May, 1701, the second in 
October, 1705. The last years of his life were passed 
within its walls, after his resignation of the bishopric. 
The chapel contains several valuable paintings by well- 
known European masters. " The flight of Joseph into 
Egypt/' by Vanloo, a French artist; "The interment 
of our Saviour," by Hutin; "The adoration of the 
Magi,"byBourieu; "The Ascension;" "The Day of 
Pentecost; " "St. Jerome," by Philip Champagnd and 
his nephew Jean Baptiste ; " The trance of St. An- 
thony," by Panocel d'Avignes ; " St. Peter's deliver- 
ance from Prison," by De La Fosse ; " The Baptism 
of Christ," by'Claude Guy Halle; "The terror of St. 
Jerome at the recollection of a vision of the day of 
Judgment;" " The Virgin ministered to by Angels," 
by De Dieu ; " The Saviour and the Woman of Samaria 
at the well," by Legrenee ; a large painting of " The 
Saviour on the Cross," by Monet; and "Two of the 
Egyptian Hermits at Thebais." The present Semi- 
nary is a large irregular pile of building, in some 
places four stories, in some three stories high. Three 
of the wings enclose a fine court, and a fourth faces a 
large garden, which overlooks the Grand Battery, and 



24 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

commands a noble view of the river. The institution 
was at first intended as a place of education for those 
wishing to enter the Roman Catholic priesthood, but 
afterwards its benefits were extended to all branches 
of the community. Ever since its foundation this 
institution has increased in usefulness and prosperity, 
owing to the judicious management of its governing 
powers. 

Passing from the Market Square, by Garden street, 
we next come to the Cathedral of the Church of 
England, a large and substantially constructed edifice, 
but built when less attention was given than now in 
Quebec to the appearance of buildings. The steeple 
As neat and extremely well proportioned, and in 
general design similar to those on the churches of 
St. Patrick and St. Andrew— of the three, that of 
the English Cathedral is the most finished ; the height 
of the spire is about 150 feet. The bell tower con- 
tains a peal of eight bells, purchased some years since 
by the congregation. The English Government pro- 
vided funds for the erection of this church, which was 
consecrated in 1804. His Majesty George the Third 
presented it with the books for service, the altar 
cloth, the hanging for the reading desks and pulpit, 
and the communion plate, which was first used on 
Christmas Day, 1709. The length of the building is 
135 feet and the breadth 73. H. R. H. the Prince 
of Wales attended service here while in Canada, and 
presented it with a Bible, with the inscription : 

" To the Cathedral of Quebec. 

In memory of 

Sunday, August 19, 1860. 

Albert Edward." 

Several handsome monuments have been erected within 
the building, of which we can only notice that to the 
memory of the Rev. Jacob Mountain, D.D., first 
Protestant Bishop of Quebec, through whose ex- 



TO QUEBEC, 25 

ertions the cathedral was built. The monument 
stands within the communion rails, over the spot 
where the lamented prelate was interred. It is of 
white marble, upon a marble ground, and the prin- 
cipal object in it is a bust in full episcopal robes, said 
to be a most faithful likeness of the bishop. Beneath 
the altar, the remains of Charles Lennox, Duke of 
Richmond, Lennox and Aubigny, and at one time 
Governor General of British North America. His 
death took place Aug. 28th, 1819, from hydrophobia, 
while on a tour through the upper province. By some, 
this attack was attributed to a bite from a tame fox. 
with which he was playing ; by others, to his suffering 
a pet dog to lick his chin, which he had cut while 
shaving. This last event took place five months 
before his death. Within the enclosure of the church 
railings, near Garden street, stood the last old forest 
tree left in Quebec, until blown down by a violent 
gale in July 1857. In the cathedral grounds stands 
the Rectory of the church, the corner stone of which 
was laid by the Bishop, July 12th, 1841. Attached 
to, and communicating with the Rectory, is the 
Chapel of " All Saints," used for occasional services, 
when the congregation is not so large as to require 
the larger church. It was consecrated November 1st. 
L844. The interior is neat, though plain. It is one 
of the very few churches, if not the only one, in 
Canada in which the reading-desk carved as an eagle 
with outspread wings is to be seen. This is emblem- 
atical of St. John, and such desks in England, mostly 
of the fifteenth or seventeenth centuries, are usually 
of brass. 

The members of the English Church numbered 
3,489 in 1852 ; they have since then increased to 
5,740, according to the last census. Besides the 
cathedral, there are four chapels belonging to the 
English Church in Quebec, of which we shall speak 



26 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

at length when near their respective localities. The 
cathedral is built on ground formerly the property 
of the Recollet or Franciscan order. 

Proceeding towards Louis street, by Parloir street, 
we next come to the extensive buildings of the Ursu- 
line Convent. This establishment, like that of the 
Hospitalieres, owes its foundation to the bounty of 
private parties, of whom the chief was Madame de 
la Peltrie, a young widow of rank and fortune ; 
who, in company with three other members of the 
order, arrived in Canada in the same fleet as the first 
nuns of the jff6tel~Dieii, whose landing, in 1639, we 
have already spoken of. Their original intention had 
been to instruct the children of the native Indians ; 
but this they found impracticable, and after some 
time they reluctantly abandoned the work. In 1641 
the Ursulines built their first convent, which stood 
close to the present building, and was of wood. This 
building was destroyed by fire during the winter of 
1650, and the nuns had for a time to take refuge 
with those of the Hotel-Bieu. The convent was 
rebuilt as quickly as possible, and was again des- 
troyed by fire in 1686. On this occasion the nuns 
were again sheltered in the Hotel-Dieu. The present 
building, which fronts on Parloir street, has in the 
rear extensive grounds, occupying most of the block 
enclosed by Louis, Anne, Ursule, Parloir, and Garden 
streets. The chapel, which opens on Parloir street, 
is ninety-five feet long by forty-five feet broad, and, 
though perfectly plain without, should receive a visit 
from all strangers. It contains a few good pictures. 
The " Mater Dolorosa," by Vandyke; " The Saviour 
at meal in Simon's house," " The Saviour," by 
Champagne ; and " The capture of Christians by 
Algerine pirates," by Restout. In this chapel, after 
the siege of 1760, the remains of the gallant though 
unfortunate Montcalm were interred ; and in it two 



TO QUEBEC. 27 

monuments have been erected to his memory : one 
by Lord Aylmer, when Governor General of the 
Province — a plain marble slab, let into the wall, and 
bearing the following inscription : — 

Honneur 

a 

Montcalm ! 

Le destin en lui derobant 

La victoire 

L'a recompense 

par une mort glorieuse ! 

The other is a handsome mural monument, erected 
by the nuns of the order, and placed over the very 
spot where the hero died, The ladies of this order 
devote themselves to the instruction of girls, of whom 
they have under their charge, at all times, a large 
number from all classes and creeds of the community 
in general ; some as day scholars, others as boarders. 
Here, a first-class and highly-finished education is 
given for a sum for which the merest rudiments could 
hardly be obtained elsewhere. The Ursuline nunnery 
is cloistered, that is, its members are not permitted 
to go out from its walls, nor are men ever admitted 
within them. We know of but two cases in which 
one of the sterner sex has penetrated within its pre- 
cincts. One was the present Prince of Wales, who, 
as one of the royal family, was privileged to visit the 
institution, and who, during his visit to Canada, was 
received most cordially by the ladies of the order and 
their young flock. We regret that our space will not 
permit us to give the details of his most interesting 
reception. The other party to whom we alluded is a 
gentleman of our acquaintance, who found an oppor- 
tunity to get within the gates on this wise : 

During the rebellion of 1837, several political pris- 
oners were brought to Quebec and lodged in the cita- 
del for safe keeping. On the night of October 15th, 
1838, two oi them, Theller and Dodge, executed a 



28 TOtJKIST'S GX3TDE 

most daring and successful escape from the fortress. 
On their absence being discovered next morning, it 
-was soon ascertained they had not got beyond the 
walls, and an active search was made for them through 
the city. Some parties who resided on St. Ursule 
street were known to be not over loyal to the govern- 
ment, and as the convent grounds joined the rear of 
these buildings, it was resolved to search the gardens, 
lest they should have hidden there. For this purpose 
a body of troops were admitted, and our friend being 
short and boyish-looking, slipped in among them. Once 
in, he concealed himself among some shrubs until the 
soldiers had departed, and then issued forth to inspect 
the unknown regions. He got into the building, and 
rambled through some passages without seeing any one. 
Growing bolder, he ventured into a room ; some fe- 
males were at work, but on seeing him, fled screaming. 
He retreated rapidly, but soon lost himself in the pas- 
sages, and, as none of the females he met remained 
after seeing him, he began to fear he should never get 
out. At last, some more courageous than- the rest 
ventured to approach the strange monster, and being 
taken before the Lady Superior, he was dismissed, 
with a warning not to intrude uninvited into such 
buildings again. 

The next spot to which we direct the tourist's at- 
tention is the " Governor's Garden," a favorite resort 
of the citizens during summer. The grounds are 
neatly laid out, and the military bands generally per- 
form here during the summer. A very handsome 
monument, to the joint memory of Wolfe and Mont- 
calm, was erected here in 1828. The erection of this 
noble column is due in a great measure to the exer- 
tions of Lord Dalhousie, who contributed most hand- 
somely to its funds. Its dimensions are as follows : 
to top of sur-base 13 feet; above this the sarcophagus, 
7 feet 3 inches ; the obelisk, 42 feet 8 inches : the 



TO QUEBEC. 29 

apex, 2 feet 1 inch; making a total altitude of 
65 feet. 

It had long been felt that some such tribute to those 
heroic men was due from the citizens of Quebec, and, 
in November, 1827, Lord Dalhousie called a public 
meeting at the Chateau, to consider what move could 
be made in the matter. Subscriptions to the amount 
of <£500 were raised on the spot, and the work was 
completed the year following. The firat stone was 
laid with Masonic honors on the 15th November, 1827, 
in presence of the Governor General, the troops then 
in garrison, and a large concourse of spectators. 
Among those present none created a deeper interest 
than Mr. Thompson (the same who interred Mont- 
gomery), the only one remaining alive in Canada of 
the gallant band who fought with Wolfe in 1760. 
This gentleman, then in his 95th year, was a member 
of the Masonic body, and as P. Dy. G. assisted in the 
Masonic ceremony. He died in 1830, aged 98, and 
by strange coincidence, the senior regiment in garri- 
son, which furnished the band and firing party for his 
funeral, was one of those which had taken part in the 
battle of the Plains. The design for the monument 
was by Capt. Young, 79th Highlanders, and the 
inscription — 

Mortem, Virtus, Communcm, 

Famem, "Pistoria, 

Momentum, Posteritas 

Dedit. 

was from the pen of Dr. Fisher. The marble slabs 
on which the subscriptions are cut were presented by 
Lord Dalhousie, and we must not omit to mention 
that at the meeting he;d to consider the erection of 
the monument, his lordship stated that a handsome 
sum in aid of the funds had been offered from New 
York, which he had accepted. We regret we cannot 
learn the amount thus tendered by our " American 
cousins/' 



80 TOURIST'S guide 

Leaving the garden by the small gate south of the 
monument, we descend Des Carrieres street to the 
Place d' Armes, first noticing, on the south side of the 
street, the lower garden with its battery of light guns 
commanding the harbor. 

Among the buildings surrounding the Place d' Armes 
we shall first notice, on the east side, the remains of 
the Chateau of St. Louis, a large pile of building 
three stories in height, perfectly destitute of orna- 
ment, and at present occupied by the offices of the 
Crown Lands Department. The building which 
Champlain erected near this spot in 1620 was meant 
to supply the place of a fortress as well as a State 
residence, and, for many years, the principal fortifi- 
cations of Quebec were those surrounding the castle. 
Gradually these defences have been extended until 
now nothing remains to show that this was once the 
strongest position in the city. Of the Chateau Haw- 
kins says :— 

" During the weakness of the colony it was often a 
scene of terror and despair at the inroads of the per- 
severing and ferocious Iroquois, who, having passed 
or overthrown all the French outposts, more than once 
threatened the fort itself and massacred some friendly 
Indians within sight of its walls. Here, too, in inter- 
vals of peace, were laid those benevolent plans for the 
religious instruction and conversion of the savages 
which at one time distinguished the policy of the 
ancient governors. At a later era, when, under the 
protection of the French kings, the province had 
acquired the rudiments of military strength and 
power, the Castle of St. Louis was remarkable as 
having been the site whence the French governors 
exercised an immense sovereignty, extending from the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, along the shores of that noble 
river, its magnificent lakes, and down the course of 
the Mississippi to its outlet below New Orleans. The 



TO QUEBEC. 31 

banner which first streamed from the battlements of 
Quebec was displayed from a chain of forts which 
protected the settlements throughout this vast extent 
of country, keeping the English colonies in constant 
alarm, and securing the fidelity of the Indian nations. 
During this period the council chamber of the castle 
was the scene of many a midnight vigil — many a long 
deliberation and deep-laid project to free the conti- 
nent from the intrusion of the ancient rival of France 
and assert the supremacy of the Gallic lily. " At 
another era, subsequent to the surrender of Quebec to 
the British armies, and until the recognition of the 
independence of the United States, the extent of 
empire of the government of which the Castle of Que- 
bec was the principal seat, comprehended the whole 
American continent north of Mexico. It is aston- 
ishing to reflect for a moment, to how small, and, as to 
size, comparatively insignificant an island in the 
Atlantic ocean this gigantic territory was once subject. 

"Here also was rendered to the representative of 
the French king, with all its ancient forms, the fealty 
and homage of the noblesse and military retainers 
who held possessions in the province under the crown. 
A feudal ceremony, suited to early times, which im- 
posed a real and substantial obligation on those who 
performed it, not to be violated without forfeiture and 
dishonor. The king of Great Britain having suc- 
ceeded to the rights of the French crown, this cere- 
mony is still retained." 

Of the building erected by Champlain no vestige 
now remains, the present edifice having been con- 
structed towards the close of the last century, the old 
building being found much decayed. In 1809, the 
ancient castle was put in thorough repair, and again 
occupied by the Governor General^ and was thus mis- 
named the New Chateau, while the more modern 
building has, with equal incorrectness, been called the 



32 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

old. The -ancient Ibuilding was destroyed by fire in 
1834, despite the great efforts made to save it. So 
intense was the cold that day that, though the confla- 
gration occurred about noon, the water froze in the 
engines, and even supplies of warm water could not 
render them serviceable. Since then, the ruins have 
been completely cleared away and the site converted 
into a spacious promenade, which was first thrown 
open to the public in October 1838. Here the 
stranger may gain some idea of the number of ships 
which annually crowd this harbour ; and on a warm 
evening in summer it would be hard to find in any 
city a more agreeable and attractive spot than this, 
its proximity to the water and great elevation 
enabling one to enjoy a freshness of air and extent 
of view not often obtainable in a crowded town. To 
Lord Durham, at one time Governor General of 
Canada, Quebec is indebted for this noble walk. 

On the opposite or west side of the Place d' Armes, 
we have the Court House, built in 1804 ; its main 
entrance, under a triple archway, facing Louis street, 
It contains, on the ground floor, apartments for the 
Quarter Sessions, and other inferior courts, and 
offices for the different clerks ; above is the chamber 
in which the Superior Court, Court of Appeals, 
Criminal Court, &c, hold their sittings. Of its 
appearance we can say nothing in praise. Had no 
ornament been attempted by its designer it might 
have passed unnoticed by strangers ; but as it is, 
there is sufficient in it to attract the eye, and cause 
the observer to exclaim, " How very ugly !" One 
consolation we may have is that it must decay, and 
when replaced it will, no doubt, be by a building 
more befitting the improved taste, of the community. 
We regret to say that it is too substantially built to 
give us any hope that it will speedily crumble away. 
The cost to the province of its erection, ungainly as 



TO QUEBEC. 38 

it is, was $120,000. Its length is one hundred and 
thirty-six feet, and its breadth forty-four. Like the 
English Cathedral, it is erected on property which 
once belonged to the Recollet order. 

Without a notice of this religious body — the first 
established and the first extinct in Canada — no de- 
scription of the city of Quebec could be complete. 
The first members of this order arrived from France, 
Avith Champlain, 1615, and received an addition of 
three to their number in 1620. Their first monastery 
stood on the banks of the St. Charles, near the present 
General Hospital. They returned to France on the 
capture of the city by the Kerkcs, and political 
influence prevented their re-establishment in the 
colony till 1670. They went to their old possessions 
on the St. Charles, and there remained till 1690, 
when they removed to the Upper Town. Here they 
erected, in 1693, their monastery and church, which 
were destroyed during the siege under General 
Wolfe. The flag taken from the ship of Phipps, 
when his unsuccessful attempt was made on the city, 
had been placed in this church, and w r as destroyed in 
the conflagration. Two plates, deposited under the 
corner stones of the buildings, w r ere discovered by 
workmen employed to level the ground. The first 
was found on the 23rd of July, 1834, and the second 
in August of the same year. Having already noticed 
the English Cathedral, nothing remains for us to 
mention at this spot save the St. George's Hotel, at 
the. corner of St. Anne and Fort streets. It was 
erected by a joint stock company many years since, 
to supply the city with a good hotel ; but the specu- 
lation failing to prove remunerative, it w r as sold. The 
purchaser, the late Hon. J. Sewell, leased it to the 
government ; but on the removal of the legislature it 
was again converted into a hotel. Since the return 



34 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

of the government, it has again been used as offices 
for some of the public departments. 

Leaving the Place d'Armes, by Fort street, we next 
come to Buade street, the name of which is all that 
commemorates the talented and heroic Louis Buade 
de Frontenac, once governor of the place. In this 
street is situated the General Post-office, only ren- 
dered worthy of notice by a figure of a dog gnawing 
a bone, which is sculptured in relief on a stone above 
one of the windows. It is richly gilt, and commonly 
known as the " Chien d'or." The following legend 
is related concerning it : — 

" The house w r as built by a Mons. Philibert, a mer- 
chant of Bordeaux, wIjlo came to Canada in 1712. 
Some misunderstanding having arisen between him 
and Bigot, then " Intendant," and Philibert being 
unable to obtain redress in the colony against so 
powerful a rival, revenged himself by placing over 
the door of his residence the figure alluded to, with 
the following lines cut beneath : 

" i Je suis un cliiea qui ronge l'os, 
En le rongeant je prends inon repos. 
Un temps viendra qui n'est pas venu, 
Que je mordrai qui m'aura mordu.' 

The threat conveyed in these lines was easily under- 
stood by Bigot, w T ho, to revenge the insult, did not 
scruple to use the sword of an assassin. One day, 
when descending the hill to the Lower Town, Phili- 
bert was run through the back by an officer of the 
garrison. There is no doubt that this was done at 
the instigation of Bigot, who permitted the murderer 
who had thus disgraced his profession to leave the 
colony unmolested. A brother of Philibert's arriving 
in Quebec to settle his brother's business, discovered 
that the murderer had exchanged into a regiment 
serving in the east. He followed him, and met with 
him in a street of Pondicherry, where, after a severe 



TO QUEBEC, 85 

conflict, the assassin died by the sword of the 
avenger. " 

From Buade street, we may proceed to the "Bishop's 
Palace/' a handsome cut stone building, occupied by 
the Roman Catholic bishop as a residence. It is a 
lofty building, solidly constructed, and ornamented 
in front with Doric pillars. It was erected in 184U, 
but the interior has, we understand, never been 
finished. Accommodation is provided in it for up- 
wards of one hundred of the clergy, many of whom, 
from country places, have occasion to visit Quebec. 
In the ante-chamber are suspended portraits of the 
bishop's predecessors. The ground on which it is 
built is a portion of the fabrique, or church land. 

Close to the- site of the present palace, and facing 
the road which leads through Prescott Gate, are the 
buildings now temporarily occupied by the two Houses 
of the Legislature. The buildings themselves, of 
white brick, have no pretensions to architectural 
beauty, and were erected to supply a place of meeting 
for the legislature till its removal to Ottawa, and 
afterwards to be converted into a Post-office, the 
present building being found too small for that pur- 
pose. On the site of these buildings Champlain built 
his first fort ; and, at a later date, the Bishop's Palace 
was erected here. This was a very spacious and 
handsome building of cut stone, and is described by 
a French writer as being equal to any of the episcopal 
residences in France, if it were finished. According 
to the original design it was intended to form three 
sides of a square, but it remained a long time without 
being completed. It was afterwards selected by the 
government as a place for the meeting of the legisla- 
tive chambers, and an annuity was accepted by the 
Roman Catholic bishop in exchange for it. In 1854 
it was destroyed by fire, and parties sent to examine 
the state of the ruins reported the walls unsafe for 



36 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

re-building. The materials were sold to the Corpo- 
ration for $100, and from them the Champlain market 
hall has been principally built. When the first 
attempt was made to remove the walls they were 
found to be so firm that gunpowder was employed to 
expedite the work, a circumstance which does not 
speak too highly for the accuracy of those who 
reported them to be in such a shattered condition. 
During the visit of the Prince of Wales to Quebec, 
these buildings were fitted up for his residence. The 
greater portion of the library of parliament is con- 
tained within the building, and is well worthy of a 
visit from strangers. In the halls of the Legislative 
Assembly and Council are suspended the portraits of 
the various Speakers of the two Houses. In the rear 
of the parliament buildings is the Grand Battery, 
mounting twenty-two thirty-two pounders, command- 
ing the whole basin and river opposite the city. From 
the small platform close to the north-east corner of 
the enclosure, a very fine view is to be had, to which 
we recommend the stranger's attention. Following 
this portion of the ramparts, westward, we arrive at 
a small gate, opening into the grounds of the Laval 
University. This institution, an offspring of the 
Laval Seminary, was incorporated by Royal Charter 
in 1852, and has faculties in arts, law, and medicine. 
The present university building is a massive cut stone 
edifice, five stories high, and contains offices for the 
use of the managers of the institution, lecture halls 
for the classes, and chambers for convocation, etc. 
Its length is three hundred and five feet, its breadth 
sixty-six feet, and height fifty. The roof is flat, and 
surrounded by a light though secure iron railing, and 
forms a most admirable promenade ; and the view, 
from its great height, and projecting so far beyond 
any other edifice, is one of the very finest about the 
city. The length of the space thus railed in is sixty 



TO QUEBEC. 37 

feet longer than the Durham Terrace, and its level is 
thirty feet above it. In the topmost story is the 
large hall used for the public celebrations of the 
University. This room is one hundred feet in length, 
forty feet in width, and twenty-five feet in height ; 
a large gallery runs entirely round it, greatly 
increasing the accommodation. We may remark 
that at the festivals held here gentlemen are admitted 
without cards, but ladies by ticket only ■; and the sexes 
are not permitted to mingle, the gallery being reserved 
for the fair ones and the body of the hall for the lords 
of creation. The other large building, at a short 
distance from the university, is the boarding house 
attached to it, five stories high, one hundred and five 
feet long, and forty feet broad. Each boarder is 
provided with two rooms, well lighted, and in winter 
comfortably heated. A large smoking room, and a 
well-furnished drawing room, containing a handsome 
piano, are among the comforts provided for those 
lodging in the establishment. On the opposite side 
of the gravelled walk is the medical school, containing 
lecture and dissecting rooms for the students in that 
branch of science. Like the other buildings, it is of 
cut stone, is three stories high, seventy-five feet long, 
and fifty feet broad. Following the gravel walk, we 
emerge into St. Famille street, more commonly, 
though less correctly, known as Hope street, at the 
foot of which stands Hope Gate, the last of the five 
which we have mentioned. At this gate, as at the 
others, is a guard-house, and a sentry always on duty. 
Leaving Famille street by Couillard street, the 
stranger in a moment or two finds himself in St. John 
street, having thus completed the circuit of the city 
within the walls. 

There are some few buildings in the interior of the 
city which we have not mentioned, as they did not lie 
in the route we have taken. First anions; these is the 



88 TOURIST'S GUIDJ2 

church of the Wesleyan Methodists, a very elegant 
structure of white cut stone, situated at the corner of 
Stanislaus and Dauphine streets. It was erected by 
the Wesleyan Methodists in 1848. The style is 
perpendicular Gothic, the interior being handsomely 
and tastefully finished. A wide gallery surrounds 
the whole interior, and a good organ has been built 
in it. The roof has no supports from the gallery, 
being built in one span, which adds greatly to the 
light and graceful look of the interior. In the base- 
ment, well-finished and comfortable rooms are set 
apart for class-meetings, &c„ The congregation is at 
present under the care of the Rev. Mr. Young. 
According to the Census of 1850, this body then 
numbered 168 souls, since which time, up to the last 
Census, they have increased to 1075, a greater pro- 
portional augmentation than any other religious sect 
in the city has received in the same space of time. 
The main entrance is from Stanislaus street, while 
the basement is entered, in the rear, from Angele 
street. 

On a line with the Wesleyan Church, and also 
facing on Stanislaus street, is the Quebec Jail. This 
building and its outhouses occupy the entire block 
enclosed by St. Stanislaus, Ste. Anne, St. Angele, and 
Dauphine streets. The main entrance is from 
Stanislaus street. On Anne street is a guard-room, 
and a special body, called the " Jail Guard," is 
maintained by the Corporation for its protection. 
The cost of erecting this jail, >, 60,000, was defrayed 
by the provincial government. The corner-stone was 
laid by the Governor-in-chief, June 17, 1809, but the 
building was not occupied till 1814. Its breadth is 
sixty-eight feet, and its length oiie hundred and sixty. 
Behind the main building, and separated from it, is 
a House of Correction for females, and between, the 
court yard of the male prison. The jail has been 



TO QUEBEC. 39 

found inadequate to the wants of the city for some 
time, and a new building, of much larger dimensions, 
is in course of erection on the celebrated Plains of 
Abraham. The present building and its site have 
been purchased by the trustees of the Morrin College, 
who propose, we believe, erecting in its place a 
University building for their own use. 

In the triangular space contained by Stanislas, 
Ste. Anne, and Dauphinc streets, opposite the Jail, 
are situated the church, manse, and school-house of 
the established Church of Scotland. To Hawkins 
Picture of Quebec we are indebted for the following 
information concerning the progress of this body in 
our city : — 

" It is believed that a regularly ordained clergyman 
of the Church of Scotland has officiated to the Pres- 
byterians of that persuasion ever since the conquest 
in the year 1759 ; but it is certain that an apartment 
was assigned, by the king's representative, in the 
Jesuits' College, as a place of worship for the mem- 
bers of the Scotch Church, previous to the year 1767, 
and occupied as such until 1807, when Colonel Isaac 
Brock requested the congregation to be prepared to 
remove thence on the shortest notice, as it was found 
necessary to appropriate it to the accommodation of 
the troops." 

In consideration of their being thus disturbed, the 
Governor-in-chief granted the congregation permis- 
sion to hold their Sunday services in the Court-house, 
in the chamber in which the justices of the peace held 
their sittings, until a more permanent provision 
could be made for their accommodation. On 30th 
November, 1808, a grant was made, by letters patent, 
of a portion of the presQiit site to certain parties, 
"in trust," and in February 1809, the committee 
appointed to solicit subscriptions reported that the 
sum of £1547 had been subscribed. From this fund 



40 tourist's guide 

" St. Andrew's Church " was built, its dimensions 
being sixty feet by forty, within the walls. Dr. 
Spark was then officiating for that body. The site 
of this building and the English Cathedral gave much 
mirth to some parties — the latter having for its nearest 
neighbour the court-house, and the former the jail, at 
that time in course of erection. Among many squibs 
let off at the time, Ave find the following : 

" Lo, sanctity to save can nought avail ? 
The pious Kirk is sent from court to jail, 3 ' 

the congregation of the Scotch Church then holding 
their meetings in the Court-house. 

In 1821, the church accommodation being found 
too small for the congregation, Lord Dalhousie granted 
an additional space to the trustees, to enable them to 
enlarge the church, a petition to that eifect having 
been presented to him. This enlargement was com- 
pleted in May 1824, and the church as it now standi 
measures ninety-five feet by forty-eight, within the 
walls, and can accommodate thirteen hundred sitters. 
The School-house was erected in 1831 by the trus- 
tees, government aid for the purpose being granted 
them to the extent of c£4Q0. A grant of c£60 yearly 
is still given to the school fund by the legislature. 
The interior of the church contains monuments to the 
Rev. Messrs. Spark and Harkness, who have had, at 
different times, charge of the congregation. They 
are erected one on each side of the pulpit— that to 
Mr. Spark being on the right hand, that to Mr. 
Harkness on the left. During the last ten years the 
members of this congregation have increased from 
three hundred and fifty-six souls to one thousand tw r o ' 
hundred and fifty-three. Hawkins, in his work pub- 
lished in 1834, gives the number of communicants 
attending this church as about 300. The apparent 
non-increase from that time till 1851 is accounted 
for by the fact that the separation of the Free Church 



TO QUEBEC. • 41 

from the Established Church of Scotland took place 
during that interval. The Rev. John Cook, D.D., 
now officiates in the church. His name is well known 
to all Presbyterians in Canada, he having been more 
than once chosen Moderator of the Synod of his 
Church. 

The Lecture Hall, on Anne street, was constructed 
in 1816, to serve as a place of worship for the Wes- 
leyan Methodists. The erection of the handsome 
building in the same neighbourhood by the Wesleyans 
rendering this chapel no longer useful to them, it was 
sold to some private parties, who offered to present it 
to the Church of England, provided the nomination 
of the officiating clergyman should rest with them ; 
and it is even said that, without consulting the bishop, 
they had already made arrangements with an English 
clergyman to officiate. This the Lord Bishop refused 
to agree to, and much fault was found with him by 
some parties for the course he pursued ; but the cir- 
cumstances which subsequently transpired proved 
clearly that he acted with great discretion and prudent 
foresight. The building is now used as a place of 
public entertainment, lectures and exhibitions of 
various sorts being held in it from time to time. It 
is perfectly plain both in exterior and interior. 

The Music Hall, St. Louis street, is, decidedly 
more handsomely finished, and, with the excep- 
tion of the Bonsecours Hall in Montreal, can accom- 
modate a greater audience than any public hall in 
Canada. It was built in 1852, by a joint stock com- 
pany, from designs furnished by Mr. Chas. Baillarg£. 
The hall is seated for about fifteen hundred persons, 
and has a false flooring, so that it can be used as 
either a ball room or concert room at pleasure. The 
stage, by far the largest in Canada, is provided with 
a very good stock of scenery, and all the appliances 
requisite for a theatrical company. Besides the main 

G 



42 TOURIST'S guide 

hall, the building contains a spacious supper room, 
ample cloak rooms for ladies and gentlemen, a saloon 
and apartments for the housekeeper. We doubt if 
any building on the continent has the same facility 
for egress as the Music Hall, for with any ordinary 
care, even when most crowded, the audience could 
with safety make their exit in a few minutes. All 
the doors in the building open outwards, with the 
exception of two, of which the whole frame w r ork 
slides into the masonry, thus effectually providing 
against the cause of so many fearful accidents in 
similar places, viz., inability to open the doors. 

The citizens of Quebec were awakened to the folly 
of using doors opening inwards, by a fearful catas- 
trophe which happened among them on the 12th of 
June, 1846. A panorama was then being exhibited 
in the building used as a theatre, and just as the 
entertainment had concluded, the canvas took fire 
from one of the lamps used to illuminate it. The 
building was so densely crowded at the time, and the 
confusion became so great, .that between forty-five 
and fifty persons perished in the flames. Among 
them were an aged couple named Tardiff, who had 
never before been in a theatre, but who had been 
induced to visit it to see this panorama of religious 
views. Lieutenant Hamilton, of the 14th, and a 
young lady whom he was to have married in a few 
days, also perished. She had that morning been 
arranging her wedding things with her sister, who 
was with her in the theatre. The sister was saved 
by a Mr. Hardie, of the city. Hamilton and his 
betrothed were interred in the same grave. Sir 
James Alexander, who witnessed the conflagration, 
says : " The wooden lining of the walls quickly 
caught fire, also the sloping floor and benches. Black 
and stifling smoke from the camphene rolled down 
the fatal stair, and hid the victims for a moment, and 



TO QUEBEC. 43 

drove away those courageously assisting outside ; 
then it would roll back and disclose the agonised 
countenances of those doomed to destruction. Once 
a stream of flame ran down from the top to the bottom 
of the stair, and every head seemed on fire, and they 
were painfully and helplessly moved about, the swollen 
tongues preventing utterance. Again another cloud 
of smoke, the roof falls in, and forty-five human 
beings, lately in health, have ceased to exist. The 
Reverend Mr. O'Reilly, a Roman Catholic priest, in 
the conscientious discharge of his sacred office, stood 
in the door way and prayed over them to the last. 
To the last they were sensible. How fearful must 
have been their agonies.' ' We would not have dwelt 
so long on this most painful theme were it not for the 
frequency of accidents arising from a similar cause 
in so many places, and the unwillingness people seem 
to have to correct this great and most important fault 
in the construction of public buildings. As it is, we 
regret space will not permit us to give more fully Sir 
James Alexander's thrilling relation of the accident. 
The building thus destroyed stood near the Old Cha- 
teau, and had formerly been the riding school of Sir 
James Craig. 

The Masonic Hall is a large edifice of cut stone, 
situated at the junction of St. Louis and Garden 
streets, and presenting a handsome front on both. 
It was built by the Masonic fraternity but a short ' 
time since. A portion of the building is used by 
them for lodge rooms, &c, and the remainder rented 
as offices. The rooms of the Quebec Literary and 
Historical Society are here, as also the lecture rooms 
of the Morrin College. This last named institution 
is as yet in its infancy, the foundation of it having 
been made by the late Dr. Morrin, of Quebec, who, 
at his death, about two years since, left the sum of 
~ 3,000 to endow such an institution. We have no 



44 ' TOURIST'S GTJIDK 

doubt that, under its present energetic managers, it 
will rapidly rise in public estimation, and bring forth 
the fruits intended by its generous founder. 

The last building within the walls, which we have 
to mention, is the Chalmers' Church, belonging to 
the Scotch " Free Church." It is a very elegant 
cut stone building, with a lofty tower and spire. It 
is situated at the foot of the citadel glacis on St. 
Ursule street. The whole edifice is well designed, 
and all its parts in perfect keeping ; and we regret 
that a building which shows such taste on the part of 
its designer, and liberality on the part of its erectors, 
is not placed in a more conspicuous situation. It is 
decidedly the most elegant building within the city, 
and the finish of the interior is carried out in a very 
handsome manner. It was erected in 1850. The con- 
gregation is at present presided over by Rev. W. Clark. 

Having thus briefly brought before the stranger's 
notice those buildings and places likely to interest 
him within the walls, we now turn to those of a like 
nature in the suburbs and on the outskirts of the city. 
Among those objects the first which naturally claims 
our attention is the " Plains of Abraham." To 
these, then, let us pass, noticing those few places 
worthy of mark which we may encounter on our road. 
Passing through St. Louis Gate, and issuing from the 
narrow way which winds through the outworks and 
pierces the glacis, into "The Grand All£e, " or St. 
Louis road, we notice on our right hand a large barn- 
like structure of wood, nearly two hundred feet in 
length and about sixty feet in width. Unenticing as 
it may appear to strangers, few places in Quebec are 
more fondly regarded by the youthful portion of the 
community than this unpretending structure, "the 
Skating Rink," and though deserted and lonely dur- 
ing the summer months, it resounds with gaiety and 
laughter during winter. Those unacquainted with 



TO QUEBEC. 4S 

the glorious northern sport of skating, can form no 
idea of the fascination it exercises over those who 
indulge in it. After once the frost sets in sufficiently 
severe to form the ice, the rink is seldom if ever 
empty until the spring returns. It is open to mem- 
bers every day, and lighted for their benefit three 
evenings during the week. The military bands also 
perform here frequently. Besides these regular 
"lightings up," balls are given during the winter, 
and of the scenes which then take place we can give 
no adequate idea. The numberless lamps suspended 
from the rafters, the gay bunting which decorates the 
walls, the stirring strains of the music blending with 
the merry voices of the skaters, combine to render it 
more like a palace of fairy land than of earth. And 
the skaters ; they too are well worth attention. For 
a lady, what can be more decorous or becoming than 
the furred caps, short jackets and skirts, and the 
Turkish trousers in which most of them are dressed ? 
* What ball-room could give the same healthy color they 
now have ? In those who are expert in the exercise 
what ease and elegance there is in every movement ! 
Those who speak of the poetry of motion in connec- 
tion with the ballet, can never have witnessed good 
skating. In skating there is a grace and ease, an 
absence of apparent muscular exertion, in even the 
most intricate and rapid movements, which can'notbe 
obtained in any other exercise. We can compare the 
movements to nothing save the descent of a bird with 
motionless wings, so purely do they seem effected by 
the will alone. All, however, are not thus gifted ; 
and in general ladies make the most graceful skaters. 
We never saw one of the fair sex run wild on the ice. 
With the men, however, such things do happen — now 
and then a figure with bent body, outstretched head 
and legs, and arms which seem to endeavor to cover 
the whole area of the ice, shoots by with the rapidity 



46 tourist's guide 

and noise of a lightning express ; anon a tall figure 
may be seen performing a painful pilgrimage from 
end to end of the building, after the manner of Hindoo 
devotees who measure the whole distance of their 
journey with the length of their bodies. His age 
prevents us supposing him to be a native, and as we 
witness his great perseverance and disregard for the 
hardness of the ice with which his head comes in 
forcible contact, we cease to wonder at the heroism 
of the British officers in India or the Crimea. The 
rink is erected on ordnance property, by permission 
of the military authorities, and cost $2,500. It con- 
tains dressing rooms for the skaters, galleries, &c, 
for spectators, and apartments for the rink-keeper. 
A curling rink is also erected in rear of it. 

On our left hand may be noticed the glacis of the 
citadel, extending to the margin of the precipice over- 
hanging Champlain street and the coves. The visitor 
should not fail to ramble over to the river side, as he will 
be well repaid for his trouble by the magnificent view 
he will obtain of the river and the coves on each side, 
where the ships usually load with timber. There, he may 
also distinctly trace the remains of the French for- 
tifications, and perhaps may find some of those quartz 
crystals from which the spot derives its name of Cape 
Diamond. These slopes, and the plain below, called 
in common parlance the " Cove fields," were, till 
skating drove tobogan sliding out of fashion, a favo- 
rite winter resort. There, on a frosty moonlight night, 
hundreds might be seen enjoying this popular sport. 
The tobogan is an Indian sled, made of a very thin 
piece of wood, without runners, from eighteen to 
twenty inches in width, and from three to eight feet 
in length. Even when heavily loaded it will not sink 
in the fresbf fallen snow/owing to the superficial ex- 
tent it covers. The front is curved upwards, and, when 
moving rapidly, throws the fleecy snow before it like 



TO QUEBEC. 47 

foam from the bow of a ship. Though not forming 
so brilliant a scene as the rink, to our mind it was 
one much grander. Below lay the river, not calm and 
silvery, as beneath the summer sun, but inky black, 
save where the masses of ice, with which it is at this 
season filled, reared their white heads in wild confu- 
sion, while the sleds rapidly descended or were lazily 
drawn up the slopes ; here and there an occasional 
overturn, which caused nothing save additional mirth, 
or perhaps some absent-minded individual carried off 
his legs by some mischief-loving parties to whom he 
was a complete stranger. Here, each laughed as long 
and loudly as he would, without the fear of incommo- 
ding his neighbour, and every figure about you stood 
out with clear distinctness against the snowy plain, 
which lay sparkling like a bed of crystals in the soft 
moonlight. 

On the St. Louis Road, is situated the Canada 
Military Asylum, a good sized stone building, main- 
tained by the forces in Canada, to afford a refuge to 
the widows and orphans of those in the service dying 
here. Also the " Ladies' Protestant Home," a char- 
itable institution, supported by voluntary subscriptions 
obtained through the exertions of some benevolently 
inclined ladies. It is a good-looking building, is of 
white brick, but has nothing of originality in its de- 
sign. Close to the corner of De Salaberry and St. 
Louis streets is the St. Bridget's Asylum, maintained 
as a refuge for the destitute by the congregation of 
St. Patrick's Church, and close to it is a small 
cemetery, now but little used, and commonly known 
as the cholera burying ground. Should parties feel 
inclined to visit these buildings they will find no 
difficulty in doing so, and will, on the spot, receive 
more full and accurate information than we can give 
them here. Passing through the toll-gate, and turn- 
ing to the open fields on our left, we are at once on 



48 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

the scene of the Battle of the Plains. Close beside 
us ? a stone column, surmounted by a Roman sword 
and helmet, marks the spot where Wolfe breathed his 
last. The following inscription, copied from it, indi- 
cates by whom and why it was erected : — " This pil- 
lar was erected by the British Army in Canada, A.D. 
1849, His Excellency Lieutenant General Sir Ben- 
jamin D'Urban, G.C.B., K.C.H., &c, Commander of 
the Forces, to replace that erected by Governor 
General Lord Aylmer, G.C.B., in 1832, which was 
broken and defaced, and is deposited beneath." The 
monument referred to as erected by Lord Aylmer, 
was a half column of the Corinthian order, about nine 
feet in height, cut from a single block, and finely 
polished; the sub-plinth, by way of contrast was simply 
cut. The column was supported on a pedestal formed 
from granite boulders found on the ground, and among 
them was firmly imbedded the remains of the rock on 
which the dying hero was supported. The inscription, 

Here Died 

Wolfe, 
Victorious, 

which was^cut on the column, has been copied on the 
pedestal of the present monument. The design was 
Lord Aylmer's own, who himself defrayed the cost 
of its erection ; the ground on which it stands being 
given by the proprietor; Mr. Hammond Gowen. 

The campaign of 1759 was opened by operations 
both by land and sea. Canada was to be invaded by 
three bodies ; of which one, under Gen. Wolfe, w r as to 
proceed by water up tlie St. Lawrence to Quebec. 
Wolfe's army consisted of about eight thousand men, 
which w r ere landed in two divisions on the Island of 
Orleans, on the 27th of June. Wolfe's first attempt 
was on the intrenched position of the French at Mont- 
morenci, where he met such a severe repulse that, in 
his despatches to England, he expressed great doubts. 



TO QUEBEC. 49 

of his being able to reduce the place. On the 11th 
September he landed his troops on the south shore, 
marched up the banks and re-embarked them above 
the town. The fleet then sailed up the river near to 
Cap Rouge, and Montcalm, thinking an attempt 
might be made there, despatched DeBourgainville 
with two thousand men to meet the British. During 
the night the fleet dropped down with the tide, and 
eluding the sentries and challenge boats, anchored 
opposite Wolfe's Cove. The steep hill side was scaled 
with considerable difficulty, and a small body of 
French troops on duty there dislodged. Word was at 
once conveyed to Montcalm of what had transpired, but 
before he could move to the spot the whole British 
force was drawn up in order on the Plains, where he 
determined at once to give battle, without waiting for 
the return of DeBourgainville. The French troops, 
though more numerous than the English,- were mostly 
raw militia men, and, though they advanced with all 
enthusiasm and courage to the encounter, they were 
soon found unable to cope with the veteran forces of 
the English. When the action commenced, Montcalm 
and Wolfe led their favorite troops into the field, and 
during the heat of the contest both fell. Wolfe, at the 
head of theLouisbourg Grenadiers and 28th Regiment, 
received a wound in the wrist, but simply wrapping 
his handkerchief round it, pressed on ; a second ball 
struck him in the groin; still he remained at his post, 
and just as the French gave way before the Grena- 
diers, a bullet, which struck him in the breast, inflict- 
ed a mortal wound. He was conveyed to the spot 
where the monument now stands, and on the informa- 
tion being conveyed to him that the French had given 
way, he exclaimed, "Now, God be praised ! I die 
happy ! ?> and expired. Such was the death of Wolfe, 
at the early age of thirty-five, when but few men be- 
gin to appear on the theatre of great events. — 
H 



50 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

Montcalm, wounded during the heat of the action, 
when told his wounds were mortal, expressed his - 
thankfulness that he should not see the surrender of 
the city. He died, and was buried, as we elsewhere 
stated, within the Ursuline Convent. The battle was 
scarcely closed when DeBourgainville came in sight. 
He saw the uselessness of advancing, and retired, 
first to Pointe aux Trembles, and finally to Montreal. 
On the 18th the capitulation was effected, and Gen. 
Murray took the.command. Of the courage and ability 
of Montcalm it is impossible to speak too highly. 
His powers of generalship had often been proved 
against the British forces in the New England colo- 
nies, and had he on this occasion acted with his usual 
prudence, and awaited the return of DeBourgainville, 
we may almost doubt if even the courage and superior 
training of the British troops would have availed any- 
thing to their heroic and youthful commander. The 
total number of English engaged was four thousand 
eight hundred and twenty-six ; their loss, sixty-one 
killed and six hundred and three wounded. The 
French force numbered seven thousand five hundred 
and twenty. 

On the Plains we may also notice one of the four 
Martello towers which were some years since added 
to the land fortifications of Quebec. Their circular 
shape renders it difficult to bring artillery to bear ef- 
fectively on them, and the masonry of which they are 
constructed is very heavy on the exposed side and light 
on that facing the garrison, so, that if abandoned they 
would easily be rendered useless to an enemy. Before 
leaving the Plains, we must notice the new jail, now 
being constructed. This edifice, built entirely of 
stone, fronts towards the St. Lawrence, and consists of 
a main body and two wings, the former four stories 
high, the latter three stories high. It contains cells 
for 276 prisoners, apartments for the jailor and 



TO QUEBEC. 51 

other functionaries, besides hospitals, chapels, work- 
shops, &c. The cost of the building, when complete, 
will be $32,000, defrayed from the provincial re- 
venues. The walls are all loopholed for musketry, by 
desire of the military authorities. 

In Saint John's suburb, the first place we shall notice 
is the Chapel and Convent of the Sisters of Charity, 
or Soeurs Grises, situated on St. Olivier street, opposite 
the' foot of St. Frangois street. The convent is a 
large building of cut stone, very simple, but by no means 
inelegant in design, and its interior is well laid out. 
It is, however, to the chapel we would particularly 
direct the stranger's attention ; the interior surpasses 
in elegant simplicity any building of a like nature in 
the province. Though very small in area, it is carried 
up to the extreme height of the building, which" gives 
it a much grander appearance than is usually obtained 
in small churches. Three tiers of galleries, supported 
by clustered columns, surround the sides and one end 
of the building. The edifice is of very recent con- 
struction ; the noble mass of buildings which formerly 
stood there having been destroyed by fire in May, 
1854. The former church was 80 feet in height, to 
the roof, and surmounted by a dome whose height was 
200 feet. Besides attending to the sick and desti- 
tute in the city, the sisters of this institution support 
and educate within its walls a large number of child- 
ren. St. Matthew's Chapel, belonging to the Estab- 
lished Church of England, is a simple gothic building 
standing in the old Protestant Cemetry. This block 
of land was granted, many years ago, by the British 
Government, as a place of interment for the various 
Protestant sects ; its management being in the hands 
of a board of trustees. ' The growth of the city hav- 
ing rendered it inexpedient to permit any longer 
interments to take place in such a populous district, 
terms were arranged with the trustees by which the 



52 TOUKIST'S GUIDE 

cemetry was closed, and the duty of keeping it in 
proper order devolved upon the Corporation* The 
erection of the chapel is due to our late energetic and 
lamented Bishop, Dr. Mountain. In the cemetry a 
small house once stood, wlrch was occupied by the 
sexton, an apartment being set aside for reading the 
funeral service at burials. In this room the Bishop, 
by permission of the trustees, instituted a Sunday 
evening service for the benefit of those residing in the 
suburbs, and for a long time conducted the services 
himself. Finding his efforts attended with success he 
obtained the use of the whole building, providing the 
sexton with another residence. During the great fire 
the chapel was destroyed, and afterwards the present 
structure was erected. As the patent for the ground 
was not taken out until long after the grant was 
made, the Bishop was enabled to obtain the insertion 
of a clause which gave permission to the members of 
the English Church to erect a chapel on the ground, 
provided the use of it was granted to the Presby- 
terians for burials, in virtue of which the ground on 
which the chapel stands belongs to the first named 
body. In 1853 morning service was first held in the 
chapel, and the congregation of it has steadily in- 
creased, until now it is inadequate to their wants. 

Until the death of Bishop Mountain, the city of 
Quebec was but one parish, of w T hich his Lordship 
was Rector. It has since then been divided, and the 
various chapels constituted several parishes. Until 
his death the Bishop never lost interest in the flock 
which had thus grown up under his care ; he fre- 
quently visited it, and from his own purse paid yearly 
the greater portion of the clergyman's stipend, The 
present building will seat about four hundred, and 
the seats in it are all absolutely free. An endowment 
fund, raised by subscriptions among the congrega- 
tion, has been raised of late to ensure the continual 



TO QUEBEC. 58 

freedom of the seats, by thus providing a revenue to 
defray the expenses of supporting a clergyman as 
well as the building. Under the present incumbent 
a daily morning service in summer, and evening ser- 
vice in winter was instituted and is still maintained. 
A Sunday school also established by him has been 
most successful in its results. The interior of the 
church is very plain, and it contains a very Mr organ. 
Here, we are in the midst of that large district which 
was devastated by fiie in June, 1845. So fiercely 
and rapidly did the flames spread that all efforts to 
subdue them proved unavailing, and the destruction 
only ceased, we may say, when nothing more was left 
to destroy. One thousand three hundred and fifteen 
hoses were consumed, and their inmates turned into 
the streets in a state of destitution. Worse still, the 
tearful devastation was not without loss of several 
lives. At some distance westward, along St. John's 
street, we find the large church, St. John's of the Roman 
Catholic congregation of the suburbs. This building, 
erected in 1848, though very handsome, is by no 
means equal to what it would have been had the de- 
signer's original plan been carried out. It was intend- 
ed that it should have stood above a flight of steps 
which would have raised it above the road, thereby 
adding greatly to its appearance ; and the lofty square 
towers of the original would have looked more stately 
than the present spires. When the funds of the 
church will permit, a handsome portico will occupy a 
portion of the vacant space in front of the building. 
The ceiling is very handsomely finished, and the nave 
divided from the aisles by graceful Corinthian columns. 
It contains seats for about 2,000 persons. The church 
contains a very fine organ, and in one of the towers 
are lour large bells. The white brick building in rear 
of the church and connected with it, is the Presbytery. 
On passing the toll-gate, which is one mile from the 



54 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

town, the road takes the name of St. Foy's Road. A 
short distance outside the toll-gate is the Finlay 
Asylum, a charitable institution, maintained by the 
members of the Church of England, as a refuge for 
the infirm of that communion. The origination of it 
is due, in a great measure, to the far seeing thought- 
fulness of the late Bishop, and partly to the generosity 
of certain private individuals in .Quebec. The first 
sum obtained for it, §800, was left as a bequest from 
a Miss Finlay, to be applied as the Bishop might see 
fit, in affording relief to the pooT. Rightly judging 
it would be more advantageous to devote the whole 
sum to some one charitable institution, his Lordship 
invested the money, and some time since it was found 
to have increased to i$2,0G0. He then proposed the 
erection of the present building, which w T as formally 
opened on the fifteenth anniversary of his Lordship's 
ordination. Hearing of the proposed building, another 
lady contributed § 2,000, at tw r o different times. The 
main building is used for the infirm, and the wings 
are rented by the Male and Female Orphan Asylums, 
both of which are corporate bodies, independent of 
each other and of the Finlay Asylum. Daily service 
is held in the building. The design was furnished by 
Messrs. Stent and Laver, and the building erected 
by Mr. Archer of Quebec ; the cost was $14,000. 

From hence we proceed along this picturesque road 
till we reach the scene of the second battle of the 
Plains, which we have already noticed, and where the 
last great stand was made for the rights of the French 
Crown in Canada. The monument which now marks 
the spot has been some time in erecting, and was in- 
augurated in 1862, in presence of the Governor- 
General, the troops, the civic authorities and national 
societies, and a large concourse of people. The statue 
of Bellona by which it is surmounted, was the gift of 
Prince Napoleon after his visit to the city about tw T o 
years since. 



TO QUEBEC, 55 

In St. Roch's there is but little to attract a visitor, 
most of the large buildings being of modern construc- 
tion and of no extraordinary architectural merit. In 
Vallier street, there is the small Chapel of St. Peter, 
erected in 1842 by the members of the Church of 
England. In St. Joseph street are two large Roman 
Catholic Churches, that of St. Roch being, perhaps, 
the largest in the city. The Jacques Cartier market 
is also in the same street. The General and the 
Marine Hospitals should receive a visit. The former 
is an offshoot of the Hotel Dieu, and in charge of the 
nuns and Hospitalieres, of whom we have already 
spoken. The Marine Hospital was erected by the 
Government in 1834, at a cost of $92,000. It is a 
handsome cut stone building of the Ionic order, and 
is most complete in its internal arrangements. To 
support it, a tax of one penny per ton is levied on all 
vessels from sea; the object of its erection being to 
provide a refuge for invalid seamen arriving in Quebec. 
Close to this place Jacques Cartier wintered ; and the 
spot has been identified by Mr. Hamel, the city sur- 
veyor, who discovered a portion of the abandoned 
vessel in the mud. The ruins of the Intendant's 
Palace, just outside Palace gate, are of historic in- 
terest. Bigot, whose name we have mentioned, was 
the last who resided there ; and if we credit his history, 
his style of living was more profligate and extravagant 
than that of any Bourbon prince. 

In the Lower Town, is the small Church of Notre 
Dame des Victoires, the oldest building of the kind in 
the city. The date of its erection is not known, but 
mention is made of a mass sung in it after the defeat 
of Sir William Phipps. Another mass was celebrated 
in it after the failure of the expedition under Sir 
Hoveden Lowe, whence its name Notre Dame des 
Victoires. The Custom House is a fine building of 
cut stone, facing the St, Lawrence ; its length is 165 



56 tourist's guide 

feet ; its width in the centre, 100 feet ; and width of 
wings, 50 feet. The centre is surmounted by a dome 
30 feet in diameter ; the front entrance has a hand- 
some portico of the Roman Doric order ; its cost was 
§2-10,000. Several of the banks are also good speci- 
mens of architecture, among them we may mention 
the Bank of Montreal, the Quebec Bank, and the 
Banque Nationale, all situated in Peter street. 

Should the stranger feel inclined to visit the spot 
where General Montgomery fell, he must pass along 
Champlain street to " Pres de Ville." A board placed 
on the rock indicates the spot. For some time the 
whereabouts of this spot was not generally known, 
and the thanks of the travelling community are due to 
the late Mr. Hawkins for having placed a tablet to 
mark it. 

The Champlain Market Hall, situated in the Lower 
Town, is a very large and fine building ; as we before 
stated, it was principally constructed from the con- 
demned walls of the Parliament House. 

As yet, we have not spoken of any of the charming 
drives which abound in the neighbourhood of Quebec, 
and we shall onlv be able to refer to them in a brief 
manner. Of one thing the visitor may rest assured, 
that, no matter which of the villages he may wish to 
visit, the scenery he will encounter on his route will 
be varied and pleasing. In the lakes and streams 
good trout fishing may generally be found, though 
the fish have suffered much from the want of good 
protective laws. 

The Falls of Montmorency will doubtless receive a 
visit from 4 our readers. They are situated about eight 
miles frem Quebec, at the junction of the Mont- 
morency and St. Lawrence rivers. They are but 60 
feet in width and over 240 feet in height, and though 
not possessed of the grandeur of Niagara, are, in their 
own way, quite as attractive. During the winter, 



TO QUEBEC. 57 

the spray congeals and forms a large cone, sometimes 
over 100 feet high, which is a favourite resort of the 
lovers of traineau sliding. At the Falls, the Natural 
steps, the large mills, and the summer residence of 
the late Duke of Kent, will prove of more or less in- 
terest to visitors. On the road between Quebec and 
Montmorency may be noticed the Beauport Lunatic 
Asylum, a most admirably conducted institution, and 
the handsome Parish Church of Beauport. During 
the greater portion of this drive, a beautiful view of 
the city is enjoyed. 

At Indian Lorette there is a small but picturesque 
waterfall of the River St. Charles. The place is 
worthy of a visit. The Indian villagers are descend- 
ants of the Huron tribe, once the most powerful on 
this continent. Here, for many years, they had a 
small church, which, we regret to state, was destroyed 
by fire two years ago. A paper mill, worked by the 
water power of the falls, has been in successful ope- 
ration for some time. 

Lake St. Charles, situated about twelve miles 
north of Quebec, is a charming spot ; it is about four 
miles long, and one broad, and divided by projecting 
ledges into two parts, called the Upper and Lower 
Lakes. On the road to it, about four miles from 
Quebec, the visitor may pass through the village of 
Charlesbourg, one of the oldest settlements in 
Canada. It has two churches, one of which is the 
centre of the surrounding farms, that radiate from 
it as their centre. The reason for this is obvious in 
a newly settled place, in which the inhabitants were 
constantly exposed to attacks from hostile Indians. 

The Hermitage, about four miles from Quebec, 
may interest those fond of romantic stories. It was 
built by Bigot as a residence for a squaw who was his 
mistress, a fact of which he supposed no one to be 
aware. Despite the seclusion of the place, his wife 



58 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

discovered the whereabouts of the building and the 
use to which it was devoted. She planned a pic-nie 
to the vicinity, and leaving the company unobserved, 
poisoned her rival. The story is so precisely a coun- 
terpart of " Fair Rosamond " of English history that 
at first we can hardly credit it, but it is related as a 
veritable truth by the habitans of the neighbourhood, 
who belie\e the spirit of the frail damsel still haunts 
the place. During the siege under General Wolfe, 
many ladies of Quebec took refuge there. For a good 
description of this and other legends, we would re- 
commend to the tourist a small work called Maple 
Leaves, written by a gentleman who possesses great 
knowledge of, and feels deep interest in, all things 
connected with the early history of the country. 

A drive round Cap Rouge the visitor will find 
pleasant. He may leave by either St. John's gate or 
St. Louis' gate, and passing through the suburbs, 
continue his journey to Cap Rouge, The distance is 
about eight miles, and along the whole route the 
scenery is most attractive. At Cap Rouge are ex- 
tensive stone quarries, a great deal of the stone used 
in Quebec being from that place. It is held by some 
geologists, that through that valley the St. Charles 
once flowed before it had its present bed. In going 
or returning, the traveller, we suppose, will pass the 
Mount Hermon Cemetery, on the St. Louis road. 
Near it is the small Chapel of St. Michael, a neat 
Gothic edifice of cut stone, belonging to the Church 
of England. The ground on which it was built was 
the gift of the late Dr. Morrin of Quebec, and his 
wife; the cost of the building was about $10,000, 
which sum was raised by private subscription; the 
chancel was the gift of the late Bishop Mountain and 
his family, by whom the corner-stone was laid on the 
5th of May, 1854. 

On the bank of the St. Lawrence opposite Quebec, 



TO QUEBEC- 59 

the new town of Levis, or South Quebec, is rapidly 
growing into importance. The depot of the Grand 
Trunk Railway being on the south shore, and the 
difficulty of crossing the river during the winter 
months, have greatly contributed towards rendering 
Levis the active, bustling little place it now is. It has 
a large and well finished church belonging to the 
Roman Catholics, and a smaller one, equally Wasteful 
in design, belonging to the Church of England. Of 
late, gas-works have been erected there, and for a 
time the gas was manufactured from resin, but the 
war in the United States having caused a great in- 
crease in the price of the article, coal is now used- 
instead. 

To those who have not resided in Quebec during 
the winter it is hardly possible to convey an idea of 
the interest which is felt in the formation of an ice 
bridge. When the ice does not "take" between the 
two shores, there is often much difficulty in crossing 
the river. The stream is then full of masses of ice, 
varying in size from a few feet square to many hun- 
dred feet, through and over which the traveller is 
taken in a heavy canoe. Should the canoe men be 
fortunate enough to strike a good crossing and get 
clear water, the journey is quickly made and is not 
unpleasant. This, however, is not always the case, 
and sometimes the victim of circumstances is carried 
about some hours on the ice, and landed at last some 
miles from the place he set out for. We know of one 
gentleman who arrived at Point Levi in the afternoon 
train, and left for Quebec in a canoe, and at the end 
of five hours he was landed some little way down the 
river, on the Island of Orleans. Despite the apparent 
danger of the traverse, we very rarely hear of a canoe 
being lost, and we have never heard of any fatality 
resulting from an accident. Conveying passengers 
and goods from one side to the other affords employ- 



60 TOUKXST'S GUIDE 

merit to many at a time when it is difficult to obtain 
work, and if there is auy likelihood of the ice 
" taking," the men use their utmost endeavours to 
prevent it. When it "takes," or freezes across, a 
road is quickly formed over it, which is soon crowded 
by vehicles and foot passengers ; it then generally 
holds till the latter end of April, and now and then 
till after the 1st of May, when May poles have been 
erected on it. Last year, a very powerful screw- 
steamer was placed on the river, with the intention of 
keeping her running all winter. During that season 
and the one just closed, she has been so far successful 
as to make us sanguine that a regular steam commu- 
nication may be kept during the winter between the 
two shores. During the summer, a ferry-boat crosses 
between the two places every ten minutes. 

About eighteen miles from Point Levi are the Falls 
of the Chaudiere, a river which flows through the 
gold fields, now attracting so much attention in Lower 
Canada. Throughout its whole course of over one 
hundred miles it flows over a rocky bed, and is full 
of rapids. At the falls, its width is about 350 feet, 
and the height of the cascade is about 150. " Instead 
of descending in one continuous sheet, it is divided 
by large projecting rocks into three channels or 
cataracts, which, however, unite before reaching the 
basin below. A globular figure is imparted to the 
descending volumes of brilliant white foam, in conse- 
quence of the deep excavations of the rocks, and the 
clouds of spray* produce in the sunshine a most bril- 
liant variety of prismatic colors. The dark green 
foliage that overhangs the torrent forms a striking 
contrast with its snow-white foam. 

A day spent in visiting the Falls of Ste. Anne and 
the Church of the same name, will, we feel assured, 
not be regretted by the tourist. The village may be 
reached by steamer, or, should the visitor prefer a 



TO QUEBEC. 61 

horse and vehicle, he may proceed thither, passing in 
his route the villages of Beauport, Montmorency, and 
Chateau Richer. This church, dedicated to La bonne 
Ste. Anne, is much venerated by the Roman Catholics, 
who believe many miraculous cures to have been made 
at its shrine. On the walls may be seen crutches 
and other helps to the deformed, who, having been 
cured of their infirmities, have presented thus^ their 
useless aids as offerings to the saint. It is also stated 
that one man who thus left his crutch behind him, was 
persuaded to return for it, lest his cure should not be 
lasting, and as a punishment for his want of steadfast 
faith, his lameness returned as soon as he demanded 
his crutch. The villagers of Ste. Anne are said to be 
very expert in catching the wild pigeons, which often 
visit that vicinity in large numbers ; they do not shoot 
them, but by means of nets, cords and pulleys, trap 
them in quantities when they settle among the trees. 
The precise method we cannot describe, having never 
witnessed it, but from what we have heard, it seems 
to be the same as described by Reach in his work, 
Claret and Olives, as in use among the peasants of 
the south of France. There is a comfortable inn close 
to the bridge which crosses the river, where the 
stranger will find "good entertainment for man and 
beast." The Falls of Ste. Anne are two or three miles 
from the bridge, a portion of which distance must be 
traversed on foot, as it lies through the woods ; a 
great portion of it is up hill, and at various spots fine 
views of the river, up to Quebec, may be obtained. 
Of the falls themselves and their surroundings, we 
can convey no proper idea, the volume of the water 
in the stream varying greatly according to the season 
of the year. Like Niagara, it will strike different 
people in various ways, according to their precon- 
ceived ideas of the spot. There is about it a wild and 
magnificent grandeur, which Niagara has not, and 



62 TOUBXST'S GUIDE 

which can only be found where nature, in her grand 
works, is not brought into immediate contact with 
civilization, but left to reign undisturbed by the puny 
efforts of art. Some few miles below is Lake St. 
Joachin, where very good trout fishing may be had. 
On the road to the lake some tiresome ascents have 
to be made, but once the height has been gained the 
lover of fine scenery will not regret the trouble he has 
taken. From some points on the road, the whole 
Island of Orleans and both channels of the St. Law- 
rence are visible, as well as the country on both sides 
of the river for many miles above Quebec. Cap 
Tourment, a lofty bluff further on, is thirty miles be- 
low Quebec, and those who have visited its top speak 
of the view thence obtained as truly superb ; one 
friend also highly praises the blue berries he found 
there as remarkably fine both in size and flavour. 
We doubt if the latter would be sufficient to induce 
many to make the ascent of this " Cape of storms." 

Formerly, most tourists from the West made Quebec 
the ne plus ultra of their trip ; now, however, many 
extend it to the watering places below, and with a 
notice of these and the places intervening, we shall 
leave him. We regret that want of space has pre- 
vented our giving more than a hasty glance at most 
things ; but should our first effort be favourably re- 
ceived by the travelling public, we hope to present 
them, another season, with a much more extended 
Gruide. 

Leaving Quebec by the steamer which traverses the 
route between the city and the Saguenay, we soon 
are out iri the stream, having a fine view of Quebec 
and the valley of the St. Charles. A few miles below 
the city, the fleecy foam of the Montmorency Falls is 
before us, as the water, broken into spray, dashes down 
the high rock into the St. Lawrence. The steamer 
now nears the Island of Orleans, and taking the south 



TO QUEBEC. 63 

channel, which is the one usually traversed by ships, 
the left bank of the river is soon hidden from view. 
The island is about twenty miles in length, and in 
breadth between five and six. The greater portion 
of it is under cultivation, and as the north channel is 
always frozen over during the winter, the farmers 
have communication with Quebec nearly the w T hole 
year through. Near the west end and on the north 
shore of it, are extensive rifle ranges for the use of 
the troops, a portion of whom is usually stationed 
there during the summer months. 

St. Patrick's Hole, about eleven miles from 
Quebec, is a fine anchorage ground, on the Orleans 
coast. Here it was that the Columbus, a large vessel, 
built solid, was constructed about thirty-six years 
ago. She was the largest vessel ever built, and was 
broken up and sold as timber when she reached Eng- 
land. The fruit grown on the island is considered to 
be about the finest in Canada, the blue plums, in 
particular, being held in high estimation. Passing 
the lower end of the island, we again come in view of 
the dark range of the Laurentian Mountains, among 
whose peaks the Mountains of Ste. Anne and Cap 
Tourmente rise most conspicuous, "the latter rising 
over 2,000 feet above the stream, its lower portion 
bare and rugged, and the loftier part covered with 
stunted trees. Madam Island is now passed, and 
almost opposite Cape Tourmente, we notice the Quaran- 
tine Station of Grosse Isle,where all vessels coming from 
sea are obliged to call. Here there is an extensive hospi- 
tal, and important facilities are afforded to emigrants 
for washing and cleansing their bedding and clothing 
after their voyage. The establishment is in the hands 
of the Government, and an efficient staff is kept up 
during the navigation season. Forty miles below 
Quebec we come to the active little village of St. 
Thomas, situated at the mouth of the South Riyer. 



64 tourist's guide 

Six miles further down, and we pass Crane Island ; 
and five miles below, Goose Island, the property 
of one of the orders of religieuses, and farmed 
by their tenants. We next reach The Pillars, 
sixty miles from Quebec, a small group of rocky 
islets, on one of which the steamship Canadian struck 
in 1857. A ligjit-house has been erected on one of 
them. The well known and remarkable channel 
called the Traverse is soon passed, and in the same 
vicinity ^ye see Isle-aux-Coudres, or, the Island of 
Filberts. Jacques Cartier anchored here during his 
first voyage up the river, and bestowed this name on 
it from the number of hazel nuts he found there. 
The habitants of Isle-aux-Condres, it is said, retain 
the type and manners of their Norman ancestors in 
greater purity than any other of the French popula- 
tion in Canada. The old French salutation, kissing 
on both cheeks, is not uncommon among them. At 
this we do not wonder, as they have comparatively 
little intercourse with strangers, The island itself is 
a very fertile and beautiful spot. Ste. Anne, on the 
south-east shore, on a bay of the same name, is a large 
settlement, about seventy miles from Quebec. A 
Roman Catholic College is established here. 

Murray Bay, eighty miles below Quebec, on the 
north-west shore, is at the mouth of a river of the same 
name. It was at one time a favorite summer resort 
of the Quebec and Montreal people, but has never 
risen in favor to the extent that Kacouna and 
Tadousac have. Among the population here many 
Scotch names may be found, and the Celtic type of 
face, though they are all French in language. 

Kamouraska, on the opposite shore, is about ten 
miles lower down the river, and contains about 2,000 
inhabitants. A considerable number- resort here 
from the towns during the summer months, to enjoy 
the salt-water bathing. 



TO QUEBEC. 65 

Riviere du Loup, or Wolf's River, is a settlement 
110 miles below Quebec, containing some 1,800 in- 
habitants. The river, from which the village takes 
its name, is the largest tributary of the St. Lawrence 
in that vicinity, on the south shore. At a bridge 
which spans the stream, near the village, it is about 
300 feet wide, but so shallow that canoes can hardly 
navigate it. " Near the village, the river is preci- 
pitated over a ledge of rocks, forming a very beautiful 
fall. The surrounding district is a fine farming 
country, which gives food to the lumbermen who ply 
their toilsome business in the forest- wilderness a little 
way back." Kacouka, which, as a fashionable resort, 
has far outstripped the other bathing places we have 
mentioned, is six miles from Riviere du Loup. It has 
now several hotels, and some few families have summer 
residences there. The Telegraph Company have an 
ofiice there, and a daily mail has been established 
between it and the upper portions of the country. It 
is now very much the custom for the habitant families 
residing in Kacouna to rent out their dwellings to 
visitors for the summer season, they betaking them- 
selves for the time to some less commodious building. 
Kacouna is at present the favourite resort for salt- 
water bathing, but a formidable rival to it is springing 
up on the opposite side of the river, at the village of 
Tadousac. 

Near the mouth of the Saguenay, the St. Lawrence 
appears tinged with the black waters of the for- 
mer. The village of Tadousac, near the mouth of 
this extraordinary stream, is one of the oldest settle- 
ments in Canada ; and here may still be seen a small 
chapel, the first sacred edifice erected in the country. 
"It is a frame building, about 25 feet by 30 in size 
inside the walls, with a handsome altar and appur- 
tenances placed partly in an octagon alcove in the 
rear. The altar-piece represents the Crucifixion ; on 

K 



66 toukist's guide 

the left are two paintings, one of them a portrait of 
the first priest who visited Canada, the other a scrip- 
ture scene ; on the right is a representation of an 
angel leading a little child. The roof is arched ; 
there is a small gallery at the end, opposite the altar. 
On one side of the church is a burial-ground, in which 
are many graves." In the church is a bell with an 
inscription which has hitherto baffled all attempts 
made by the curious to decipher. A large and well 
finished hotel has just been erected at this delightful 
place, and we feel sure Tadousac will rapidly rise in 
the public estimation as a summer residence. The 
hotel has been built by a joint-stock company, and 
the leading shareholders are well known as men who 
push forw T ard in a vigorous and satisfactory manner 
the enterprises they engage in. 

At Tadousac, a trading post of the Hudson's Bay 
Company has been* long in existence. At a little 
distance from the buildings of the trading * post, a 
clump of fir trees marks the place where the fortifica- 
tions erected by the French once stood ; and in the 
same vicinity may be seen the remains of the first 
stone building erected in Canada. This was the 
residence of Pere Marquette, the explorer of the 
Mississippi. Tadousac is about 130 miles from Que- 
bec. 

" The River Saguenay is formed by the junction of 
two outlets of Lake St. John, which lies nearly 150 
miles to the north-west of Tadousac. For some dis- 
tance below the lake, the river presents some magni- 
ficent cascades, where the water rushes between rocky 
banks from 200 to 1,000 feet in height. Between 
Ha Ha Bay and its mouth, the ayerage width of the 
stream is about one mile ; notwithstanding its great 
depth, the current is swift when the tide is low, and 
its effect is felt in the St. Lawrence for several miles. 
More than thirty streams are tributary to it, and its 



TO QUEBEC. 67 

color is so dark that, to the voyageur looking into it 
from his vessel, it appears like ink ; it is also very 
cold, and the seal is sometimes found here. The 
district of the Saguenay is very thinly settled, and 
the population consists, in a great measure, of parties 
in the employment of the Messrs. Price, who have 
large saw-mills on most of the streams and do a very 
large business in the lumber trade. Some years ago, 
these gentlemen had thirty-six lumber establishments 

CD t/ 

in this district, giving constant employment to up- 
wards of four thousand men. Mr. D. E. Price, in I860, 
stated before the Legislature that he considered the 
climate better than Quebec, though the extremes of 
heat and cold are more felt for a few days, owing to 
its northern position. "But the Saguenay, being a 
valley between very high mountains, is sheltered from 
the spring blast of raw winds from the north, north- 
east and east, so that our spring vegetation is almost 
equal to the Eastern Townships, and in advance of 
Quebec and the borders of the St. Lawrence in May 
and June, when these raw winds prevail." The fol- 
lowing remarks on Saguenay farming we extract 
from the notes of a friend : — " The farms vary in size 
from 40 to 100 acres, and for the most part are well 
fenced off. Ail kinds of grain, such as wheat, i^ye, 
corn, &c, are raised on them, as is also tobacco, 
which, when mixed with 4 Virginia,' is not unpleasant 
to smoke. There is an abundance of wild fruit in the 
country, and there is no reason why orchard trees 
should not be introduced. Every habitant has his 
horse, and he takes peculiar pride in turning him out 
in good condition on Sundays and fete days. All 
Canadian horses can bear a great amount of fatigue 
and travel great distances on consecutive days without 
sustaining injury. The Canadians of the Saguenay 
do not seem to have any idea of the importance of 
improving their cattle by crossing them ; the result 



68 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

is, that the animals yield poor milk and butter, and 
worse beef. The breed of pigs is poor, and the sheep 
diminutive. In spring, the cattle in many places are 
little better than walking skeletons, and the sight 
they present is shocking to human eyes ; in some 
cases, almost too weak to stand, they are dragged 
from their stalls to breathe the air and extract what 
nourishment they can from the scanty herbage. If 
they live, cest bon; if they die, nimporte! In the 
latter case, their hides are converted into moccasins, 
and our farmer and his sons dance holes in them with 
all the sang-froid and elegance of the descendants of 
the most accomplished of mankind." 

The French Canadians of the Saguenay make all 
their own cloths, &c, and one thing which must strike 
an Englishman when he sees a number of the rural 
population, is the absence of that boorishness of dress 
and manner which stamps the same class in England. 
In general, they are intelligent, polite and good 
natured. There is comparatively little vice among 
them, and were they not borne down by the pressure 
of circumstances, there is no reason why the district 
might not become as prosperous as any in Canada. 

On entering the Saguenay, a magnificent view is 
presented to the visitor, and should not be lost. In 
a short time the mouth of the St. Marguerite is before 
him. This river is well known as a salmon stream, 
and here the Prince of Wales tried his skill at angling, 
though without success, during his recent visit to 
Canada. The whole scenery of the Saguenay is of a 
most imposing and peculiar character, and cannot 
fail to impress the beholder with the littleness of man 
and his works compared with those of nature. Below 
lies the great river, seven hundred feet deeper than 
the St. Lawrence, into which it flows ; and on each 
side rises the immense granite w^alls which form its 
banks, sometimes over-hanging the vessel in which we 



TO QUEBEC. 69 

are borne along. About a mile from the mouth of the 
river, we encounter La Boule, a peak on the north 
shore, which rises, a round and solid mass of granite, 
more than a thousand feet above the stream. The 
Two Profiles, so called from their resemblance to 
the human face, are specimens of nature's colossal 
statuary, and are several hundred feet above the river. 

About thirty-four miles from Tadousac we come to 
the two grandest peaks of the Saguenay, Capes 
Trinity and Eternity, both on the southern shore, 
which stand like giant sentries at the entrance of 
Trinity Bay. Trinity Bay is a semi-circular estuary, 
about a mile wide at its entrance, which is flanked by 
these peaks, nearly 2,000 feet in height. Cape 
Trinity received its name from its three peaks, which, 
though quite distinct, all form a portion of the same 
great mass. The name of its companion, Cape 
Eternity, was suggested by the ever-enduring ap- 
pearance and almost imperishable material (primitive 
granite) of the rock. At the foot of these capes the 
river is said to be over 2,000 feet in depth; and so 
close do vessels pass, that the traveller may almost 
grasp the branches of the trees which grow upon the 
sides of these mighty rocks. Forty miles from the 
mouth of the river, we pass Statue Point, another 
lofty, rocky mass. In this bluff, there is a large 
niche, about 800 feet above the river, which looks as 
though roughly hewn, to receive a statue, and in 
which a rock resembling a human figure stood until a 
few years ago. It has since been displaced by frost 
or some other natural cause, niche and statue being 
alike inaccessible to man. 

We next pass Les Tableaux, or, The Pictures, a 
light -coloured rock, variously tinted, which rises 
almost perpendicularly from the river, to a height of 
several hundred feet, in some parts fully a thousand 
feet above the water. 



70 TOURIST'S GUIDE 

Fifty-eight miles from Tadousac, we enter Ha Ha 
Bay — in the Indian tongue, " Ha Ha " meaning 
laughing. This is also called Grand Bay, but we 
prefer the Indian name. In this vicinity the moun- 
tains begin to disappear, and a good country opens 
up. Upon each extremity of Ha Ha Bay there is a 
small village, settled mostly by a Scotch and French 
Canadian population. From Ha Ha Bay to Chicou- 
timi is a distance of twelve miles. Here there is a 
small Roman Catholic Chapel, erected in 1727. The 
steamboat navigation of the Saguenay ends here, the 
river above being full of rapids and falls. A post 
house of the Hudson's Bay Company has long been 
in existence here; and in 1800, at &f$te, so numerous 
was the gathering of the Indians, that thirty gallons 
of shrub were drunk by the squaws in glasses. As 
none of the "dames" became "elevated," we may 
form some idea of the numbers present. The post 
house was the birth-place of the late Peter McLeod, 
Esq., one of the earliest settlers in this district, and 
whose name is connected with many romantic stories 
of the country. He was of an old Scotch family by 
his father's side, but always took a vivid interest in the 
Indians, from whom he was descended by his mother. 

During the proper season very good salmon fishing 
may be had on the Saguenay. This, as in most other 
streams, became nearly destroyed for want of pro- 
tective laws for fish ; but since the establishment of 
a fishery inspector and proper laws, the numbers of 
fish are again fast increasing. 



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